Chinese mission says no foreign entities justified to interfere in China's local elections

BRUSSELS - The Chinese Mission to the European Union (EU) said on Monday that no foreign government, organization or individual has any right or reason to interfere in Hong Kong's internal affairs.

The remarks were made in response to an EU statement on the postponement of the Legislative Council elections of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR).

Noting that Hong Kong is China's special administrative region, a spokesperson for the mission said that the region's legislative council elections are China's local elections, and hence purely Hong Kong's internal affairs.

The HKSAR government's decision to postpone the elections due to the severe pandemic situation is a justified and necessary step to ensure safety and health of Hong Kong citizens and the safety, fairness and impartiality of the elections, the spokesperson said.

Noting that elections were put off due to epidemics or other disasters in other places as well, the spokesperson said that the HKSAR government followed this usual practice in making the decision a legitimate, reasonable and lawful one.