Stay out of Hong Kong’s affairs, government warns, after US report highlights ‘chilling effect on political protest’ in city

United States Department of State report referred to disappearance of tycoon Xiao Jianhua from Hong Kong hotel in January 2017 and the jailing of three student Occupy leaders including Joshua Wong

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Prosecutors in Hong Kong sought harsher penalties against Joshua Wong and two of his fellow student activists although they were originally given community service orders or suspended jail terms. Photo: K.Y. Cheng

Published: 2:45pm, 21 Apr 2018Updated: 11:26pm, 21 Apr 2018

Foreign governments should stay out of Hong Kong’s internal affairs the city’s government has warned, after a US report raised concerns mainland Chinese authorities had encroached on the city’s autonomy.

The report on human rights practices, released by the United States Department of State on Saturday, said the most significant issues concerning Hong Kong were “a chilling effect on political protest and the exercise of free speech” caused by government actions and “central People’s Republic of China government’s encroachment on the Special Administrative Region’s autonomy”.

The Hong Kong government maintained the city had enjoyed a high degree of autonomy since its return to Chinese sovereignty in 1997 in accordance with the “one country, two systems” principle, which is widely recognised by the international community.

“Foreign governments should not interfere in any form in the internal affairs of [Hong Kong],” the statement said.

Chinese tycoon Xiao Jianhua vanished from a luxury Hong Kong hotel in January 2017. Photo: Handout

The report pointed out there were “renewed fears” that mainland Chinese security services “did not respect the [city’s] high degree of autonomy”, and referred to tycoon Xiao Jianhua who vanished from a luxury Hong Kong hotel in January 2017.