Outside interference unnecessary

September 10, 2019

(To watch the video with sign language interpretation, click here.)

 

Chief Executive Carrie Lam today said the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government is obligated to comply with the Basic Law and it is unnecessary for foreign countries to interfere with Hong Kong's internal affairs.

 

Mrs Lam made the remarks ahead of the Executive Council meeting in response to the re-introduction of the Hong Kong Human Rights & Democracy Act in the US.

 

She said: “To interfere into Hong Kong's internal affairs in terms of what we are doing under the Basic Law’s protection of freedoms and liberties, this is totally unnecessary, because we ourselves have the obligation and the duty to comply with provisions in the Basic Law.”

 

Under the Basic Law, the city enjoys a high degree of autonomy in conducting its external affairs, Mrs Lam added.

 

“When we sign a free trade agreement, when we have comprehensive avoidance of double taxation agreements, those are done in that proper context to bring mutual benefits to both parties.

 

“Similarly, any agreements that we have, or any particular provisions applied to Hong Kong from the Americans, they are not exclusively for the benefit of Hong Kong, they are also mutual.”

 

The Chief Executive pointed out there are nearly 1,400 US companies in the city and that they would enjoy the benefits arising from any positive bilateral relationship between Hong Kong and the US.

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