Any attempt to interfere in Hong Kong affairs and undermine its prosperity and stability is doomed to fail, a Chinese envoy said on Wednesday, stressing that Hong Kong affairs are purely China's internal affairs. 

Chen Xu, China's permanent representative to the United Nations Office at Geneva, made the remarks at a side meeting during the ongoing 49th session of the UN Human Rights Council. 

Since Hong Kong's return to China in 1997, the principle of "One Country, Two Systems," under which the people of Hong Kong administer Hong Kong with a high degree of autonomy, has been fully implemented, Chen said.

He reviewed the enactment and implementation of the Law on Safeguarding National Security in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) and changes made to the HKSAR's electoral system under the principle of "patriots administering Hong Kong."  

The HKSAR has witnessed a "historic turnaround" from chaos to governance and from governance to prosperity thanks to these moves, he said, adding that the legal rights of the Hong Kong people are better exercised in a safer environment. 

He expressed confidence that the HKSAR will defeat COVID-19 with full support from the central government and people across China. 

John Lee Ka-chiu, chief secretary for administration of the HKSAR government, who also attended the meeting hailed the role of the national security law in restoring order in Hong Kong. He added that the changes to the electoral system have improved the quality and efficiency of Hong Kong's Legislative Council. 

Permanent representatives and senior diplomats from over a dozen countries, including Russia, Iran, Sri Lanka, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Cuba, Venezuela, Nicaragua, Niger, South Sudan, Eritrea, Laos, Cameroon, Syria and Belarus, voiced support for the one-China principle, reiterating that Hong Kong is an inalienable part of China. 

They also expressed support for China's legislative efforts to safeguard national security and voiced opposition to external interference in Hong Kong affairs.