The Foreign Affairs Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC), China's national legislature, on Thursday voiced strong condemnation of and firm opposition to the passage of the so-called "Hong Kong Autonomy Act" by the United States.
The U.S. move has grossly interfered in China's internal affairs and seriously violated international law and the basic norms governing international relations, the committee said.
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The committee reiterated China's firm stance to safeguard the nation's sovereignty, security and development interests, and implement the principle of "One Country, Two Systems," opposing any external interference in Hong Kong affairs.
Hong Kong's affairs are purely China's internal affairs, the committee said, stressing that there isn't any clause in the Sino-British Joint Declaration which entitles foreign forces to interfere in the city.
The Chinese government exercises jurisdiction over Hong Kong in accordance with the Constitution and the Basic Law of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), it noted.
The committee urged the U.S. side to immediately stop interfering in China's internal affairs under the pretext of Hong Kong, and refrain from going further down the wrong path, or China will have to take all necessary measures to fight back.
This remark came after the U.S. House of Representatives passed the act on Wednesday.
In late June, China has expressed strong opposition to the passage of the act by the U.S. Senate, which mainly focuses on economic sanctions, including freezing assets and denial of entry, and also targets Hong Kong government officials and functional departments.
Hong Kong citizens celebrate the passage of the Law of the People's Republic of China on Safeguarding National Security in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) in Causeway Bay of south China's Hong Kong, June 30, 2020. /Xinhua
World reaction
Referring to China's adoption of the national security legislation for HKSAR, Muhammad Faruk Khan, chairman of Bangladesh's Parliamentary Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, voiced support for China's right to safeguard its national security.
The law will help develop a permanent legal framework and enforcement mechanism for the HKSAR to safeguard national security, and it demonstrates China's adherence to the "One Country, Two Systems" guideline, Khan told media on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, Vietnam expressed its support for the "One Country, Two Systems" principle, the HKSAR Basic Law, and other related regulations.
Vietnamese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Le Thi Thu Hang stressed Thursday that Hong Kong affairs are China's internal affairs, adding that Vietnam hopes to see Hong Kong enjoy stability and prosperity.
Speaking at the 44th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council on Tuesday, Cuba, on behalf of 52 countries, welcomed the adoption of the law on Safeguarding National Security in the HKSAR by China's top legislature.
The number of countries to sign the joint statement Cuba read at the session to support the law is expected to rise.