Published 18:31 IST, May 22nd 2020

China determined to enact security law in HKong

The Chinese Foreign Ministry underscored the Beijing government's determination on Friday to enact national security legislation in semi-autonomous Hong Kong.

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The Chinese Foreign Ministry underscored the Beijing government's determination on Friday to enact national security legislation in semi-autonomous Hong Kong.

Zhao Lijian, the ministry's spokesperson, said no foreign country had the right to intervene in Hong Kong affairs.

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He was respondoing to US President Donald Trump's warning that Washington would act strongly against attempts to assert greater control in Hong Kong.

The proposed bill, submitted Friday on the opening of China's national legislative session, is aimed at forbidding secessionist and subversive activity, as well as foreign interference and terrorism.

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Trump on Thursday threatened to withdraw from the Open Skies Treaty, a deal that permits over 30 nations to conduct observation lights over each other's territory, if Russian violations continue.

Zhao criticized Trump's announcement saying it's "another negative manifestation of the US's adherence to the Cold War mentality, pursuit of 'American First' and unilateralism."

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Zhao added the withdrawal would harm international arms control and disarmament processes.

In a report released by the White House on Wednesday, the Trump administration said US policies toward China in the past 40 years failed to liberalise China by providing it with more investment and greater access to the US market.

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Zhao said the report "vigorously hypes the Chinese threat" and the US intended to use it as an excuse to assert more pressure on China.

"Facts have fully proved that the policies and practices pursued by the US in adherence to the Cold War mentality and ideological prejudice have made fundamental mistakes from the outset and are doomed to fail," Zhao said.

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18:30 IST, May 22nd 2020