BEIJING: Responding to a suggestion by the United Nations Human Rights Committee that Hong Kong should "take concrete steps" to repeal the national security law because it threatens civil liberties, Beijing urged the body to "abandon arrogance and face the facts". 

The Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office (HKMAO), the Chinese government's foreign ministry and Beijing's liaison office in Hong Kong, responded on Thursday in response to the UN committee's report, expressing "serious concern" over the "too broad interpretation" .

According to the proposal there should be more seats in the Election Committee, a principal body that chooses the city's mayor, and the Legislative Council that are directly elected.

A cabinet-level HKMAO spokesman expressed "strong opposition and strong dissatisfaction" with the UN report in a statement made public by Xinhua, calling the statements in the publication "biased and untrue".

The adoption and implementation of the National Security Law in Hong Kong will help restore law and order, protect the peaceful [life] of residents, resume social and economic development, and accelerate regime change from Hong Kong's chaos.

In addition to guaranteeing the rights and freedoms enjoyed by the vast majority of residents, the spokesman stressed that the security law "prevents, prevents and punishes illegal acts" by a small minority of people. He stressed that the United Nations must support human rights in an "objective" manner.

We sincerely hope that, going forward, the UN Human Rights Committee reports will be less skewed and inaccurate and more factual.

A spokesman for Beijing's liaison office in Hong Kong said in a separate statement that the central government had to enact security legislation to thwart outside interference.

The spokesman said Hong Kong's national security law upholds social stability and fully protects human rights. "We urge relevant international institutions to shed their arrogance and prejudice, confront the successful practice of "one country, two systems" and take justly objective and impartial decisions.

The European Union said in a statement supporting the UN report on Thursday that the National Security Act (NSL) and the sedition law should be repealed, along with any attempt to implement it with immediate effect.

In response to comments from the Hong Kong Office of the Chinese Foreign Ministry, the EU was accused of "promoting Hong Kong-related issues and defaming the central government's policy towards Hong Kong".

The report's findings had no credibility and were in stark contrast to the actual human rights situation in Hong Kong. However, the EU hastily jumped to make reckless remarks and accusations about Hong Kong affairs, which, according to ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian, fully exposed its hypocrisy and nefarious intentions to "play the Hong Kong card".

"We urge the European Union to clarify its stance and to end Hong Kong's rule of law and judicial independence, as well as to stop interfering in the internal affairs of Hong Kong and China."
On Wednesday night, the Hong Kong administration rejected the UN committee's criticism.

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