China condemns attack on HKSAR's justice secretary in London
Updated 10:44, 16-Nov-2019
CGTN
00:35

Chief Executive of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Carrie Lam on Friday condemned the attack on Teresa Cheng, Secretary for Justice of HKSAR, in London, calling it a "savage act" that goes beyond any civilized society.

Cheng, visiting London on an official trip, was attacked by multiple protesters on Thursday.

The HKSAR chief executive called on the police to bring the perpetrators of the attack to justice.

The British police claimed that "inquiries are going on to establish the full circumstances," adding "no arrest at this stage" in a statement published on Friday.

Ambassador Liu Xiaoming conveys condolences from central government 

Chinese ambassador to the UK Liu Xiaoming conveyed condolences from the central government to Teresa Cheng.

The incident exposed the ugly essence and sinister political purpose of anti-China elements trampling on the bottom line of the law, noted Liu, stressing that the central government of China firmly supports the HKSAR government in stopping violence, restoring order as well as safeguarding the rule of law.

HKSAR justice secretary denounces radicalism

Moreover, Cheng made a report to the London police and asked them to "take the case seriously and put the culprits to justice," her office said in a statement.

"The Secretary for Justice castigates the violent mob in London today, causing her serious bodily harm on her way to an event venue," the statement said.

"The secretary denounces all forms of violence and radicalism depriving others' legitimate rights in the pretext of pursuing their political ideals, which would never be in the interest of Hong Kong and any civilized society," the statement added.

Embassy condemns attack, calls for strengthening security

Furthermore, the Chinese Embassy in London on Friday strongly condemned the incident. It urged the British police to carry out a thorough investigation into the incident to bring the offenders to justice and strengthen protection of Chinese personnel and institutions in the UK, an embassy spokesperson said in a statement.

The incident has once again proved that radical protesters' real intention is to destabilize Hong Kong, paralyze the SAR government and undermine the principle of "One Country, Two Systems," the statement added.

Ending violence and restoring order is the paramount task in Hong Kong, the statement said, adding that China's central government firmly supports the SAR government in administering Hong Kong according to law, firmly supports the Hong Kong police in enforcing the law, and firmly supports the judicial organ in bringing criminal offenders to justice in accordance with the law, so as to protect the life and property of Hong Kong residents and restore stability in Hong Kong.

China urges UK to be discreet in Hong Kong affairs

A central government spokesperson for the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council strongly condemned the series of radical violence that happened recently, saying it severely tramples the rule of law and endangers social security.

The spokesperson echoed Chinese President Xi Jinping's remarks on Hong Kong, calling on all residents in Hong Kong to stand up against the violence and support the SAR government. 

00:28

On Friday, the Chinese Foreign Ministry also expressed its strong indignation and condemnation of the incident, stressing that the radical protesters are rioters and their actions must be punished, said the ministry's spokesperson Geng Shuang at a press conference.

Apart from urging a thorough investigation into the incident, Geng also urged the UK government to stop meddling in China's internal affairs and driving a wedge between the central government and Hong Kong residents.

The UK should "be discreet in words and deeds" when it comes to Hong Kong affairs in case it shoots itself in the foot, Geng warned.

He reiterated that ending violence and restoring order is the only solution and the central government will continue to support the HKSAR government and its police to punish the violent acts in accordance with the law.