On September 25, the Minister of State of the UK made wanton accusations against China on Hong Kong and Xinjiang related issues at the Human Rights Council. Abusing the platform of the Human Rights Council to spread disinformation and distort history, the UK side fully exposed its arrogance, bias and ignorance. China deplores and categorically rejects the accusations.

Hong Kong and Xinjiang related issues are not human rights issues in any definition. The essence of the issue is China's determination to safeguard its sovereignty, security and unity, uphold the rule of law, and ensure that people live in peace and contentment.

Since the outbreak of "Fugitive Offenders Law incident" in Hong Kong in June last year, "Hong Kong independence" and radical separatist forces, with the support of certain external forces, have become increasingly rampant in escalating violent and terrorist activities in Hong Kong. These acts challenged the bottom line of the "one country, two systems" principle and posed a serious threat to China's national security. The legal system and enforcement mechanism for safeguarding national security in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region that China has established and improved is designed to plug the legal loopholes, safeguard national security and sovereignty and ensure prosperity and stability in Hong Kong SAR. It reflects the will of all Chinese people including Hong Kong compatriots. The National Security Law for Hong Kong brings to justice only a very small number of criminal offenders who severely endanger national security. It protects the rights and freedoms of the vast majority of Hong Kong citizens who abide by law. Desperately frustrated and outraged since the enactment of the National Security Law for Hong Kong, certain external forces went all out to attack and discredit China. They did so only because they could no longer use Hong Kong as a bridgehead to engage in activities that undermine China's national security as unscrupulously as they did before. And this only proves that the legislation is both correct and necessary. The UK itself has a number of national security laws in place. It is absurd that it applies double standard in such a thinly disguised manner when it comes to national security legislation for Hong Kong.

Hong Kong is China's Hong Kong. It has been 23 years since Hong Kong returned to the motherland. Gone are the days when Hong Kong was under British colonial rule. The Sino-British Joint Declaration is a document between China and the UK concerning China's resumption of the exercise of sovereignty over Hong Kong and arrangements for the transitional period. As China resumed exercise of sovereignty over Hong Kong in 1997, all the rights and obligations of the British side under the Joint Declaration were completed. The UK has no sovereignty, jurisdiction or right of supervision over Hong Kong. The UK side is well advised to give up wishful thinking and walk out of the colonialist hallucination as soon as possible.

Xinjiang of China has been plagued by ethnic separatism, violent terrorism, and religious extremism. Thousands of terrorist attacks took place in the 1990s that severely threatened human rights of people of all ethnic groups in Xinjiang. To reverse the situation, the local government of Xinjiang carried out a series of anti-terrorism and de-radicalization measures in accordance with law. These measures restored security in Xinjiang and enabled people of various ethnic groups to enjoy fully human rights in a safe environment. Since the end of 2018, more than 1,000 diplomats, officials of international organizations, journalists, and religious personages from over 90 countries have visited Xinjiang and seen with their own eyes of a Xinjiang of stability, prosperity and development where people of various ethnic groups live in happiness. Certain western countries and politicians have fabricated too many lies about Xinjiang. They maliciously slandered China and pepped up anti-China separatists in an attempt to turn Xinjiang into instability and insecurity and deny the right of local people to peaceful and happy life. This is something that no one in China will ever accept.

The human rights abuses of the UK are for all to see. The overseas UK garrison brutally killed civilians and perpetuated torture in other countries. The right to life and health of its people was ignored during the COVID-19 pandemic. The number of confirmed infections and deaths remains disproportionately high, and millions of children are under starvation. Report of the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination of the United Nations shows a sharp increase in recent years of racial discrimination and racial hate crimes in the UK. Systemic discrimination against African and Asian descents continues to deteriorate. How can a country with such serious violations of human rights claim itself a "human rights preacher"?

China is willing to have dialogue with other countries on human rights issues on the basis of mutual respect. Nevertheless, we firmly oppose unwarranted accusations against others for political purpose by using disinformation. We are staunchly opposed to despicable acts of creating chaos and division in other countries to retard their development under the pretext of protecting human rights and acts of violating human rights of their people. We urge the UK side to stop meddling in Hong Kong affairs and interfering in the domestic affairs of others'. Otherwise, with its poor human rights record, the UK will only become a standing joke internationally.