The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government today expressed strong disapproval and condemnation of some UK officials’ attempts to interfere in its enforcement actions in accordance with the law by meeting the wanted persons suspected to have committed offences endangering national security.

In a statement tonight, the Hong Kong SAR Government responded to media enquiries on the meeting involving UK Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Affairs David Lammy and Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office Catherine West.

It strongly demands the UK Government to immediately stop interfering in Hong Kong matters which are purely China's internal affairs.

The Hong Kong SAR Government pointed out that endangering national security is a very serious crime. No country will watch with folded arms the acts and activities that endanger national security.

Those persons who have fled overseas are suspected of continuing to commit offences under the Hong Kong National Security Law. Thus, Police applied to the court for arrest warrants in accordance with the law and put them on the wanted list.

The UK Government has ignored the malicious acts of those wanted persons, showcasing hypocrisy with double standards, the Hong Kong SAR Government added.

It reiterated that the Hong Kong SAR law enforcement agencies have been taking law enforcement actions based on evidence and strictly in accordance with the law in respect of the acts of the persons or entities concerned, which have nothing to do with their political stance, background or occupation.

The Hong Kong SAR Government also has the responsibility to pursue in accordance with the law the legal liabilities of the persons who are suspected to have committed offences endangering national security and absconded overseas. It will exhaust all means to pursue and combat such criminals, ensuring that violations of the law will be pursued regardless of the distance and urged the wanted persons to return to Hong Kong and surrender so as to rectify their mistakes.

The Constitution and the Basic Law steadfastly safeguard the rights and freedoms enjoyed by Hong Kong people. Any attempt by foreign countries or external forces to undermine the city’s situation will only expose their own weakness and faulty arguments and be doomed to fail, the Hong Kong SAR Government emphasised.

It will, as always, continue to resolutely discharge the duty of safeguarding national security, whilst upholding the rights and freedoms of Hong Kong people in accordance with the law, so as to ensure the steadfast and successful implementation of the “one country, two systems” principle.