CHINA DAILY | HONG KONG EDITION Wednesday, July 22, 2020 | 3 TOP NEWS Historical view HK opposition China, Laos camp accused of putting committed to politics above public health

By KATHY ZHANG in Hong Kong shared future [email protected]

Premier Li discusses ASEAN progress Former head of Hong Kong’s legis­ with Lao counterpart via videolink lature Rita Fan Hsu Lai­tai has slammed opposition parties for plac­ ing politics before public health by By ZHOU JIN ing its core interests and will work holding crowded events despite the [email protected] with China to promote the building COVID­19 pandemic. of a community with a shared future Fan, speaking on Tuesday, said China would like to work with between the two countries. the opposition held public activi­ Laos and other relevant countries to Also on Tuesday, State Councilor ties including regular anti­govern­ jointly promote the development of and Foreign Minister Wang Yi ment assemblies in early July and China­ASEAN relations as well as co­chaired with Deputy Prime Min­ so­called primary polls on July 11 peace, stability and prosperity in the ister and Foreign Minister of Viet­ and 12, days before the third wave region, Premier Li Keqiang said on nam Pham Binh Minh, the 12th of the outbreak struck the city. Tuesday. Meeting of the China­Vietnam Fan, also a former Hong Kong In a videoconference with Lao Steering Committee for Bilateral member of the Standing Commit­ Prime Minister Thongloun Sisoul­ Cooperation via videolink. tee of the National People’s Con­ ith, Li called on China and relevant Wang called on the two countries gress, made the remarks in an countries to strive to sign the to manage maritime disputes interview with China Daily, at a Regional Comprehensive Economic through bilateral dialogue, and A child visits the exhibition hall of the Palace of Compassion and Tranquility in Beijing’s Palace Muse­ time when the city’s COVID­19 tal­ Partnership this year. work with other ASEAN members um on Tuesday. The museum, also known as the Forbidden City, reopened some indoor exhibition ly has reached 2,019 cases. China would like to work with to prevent external forces from dis­ halls after the capital lowered its COVID­19 emergency response from level II to III on Monday. The opposition those countries to successfully host turbing and damaging stability in JIANG DONG / CHINA DAILY camp set up 251 poll­ East Asian leaders’ meetings this the South China Sea region. ing stations across year, the Year of ASEAN­China Digi­ This is the second time Wang has the city during the tal Economic Cooperation, Li said. discussed the South China Sea issue two­day “primary ASEAN became China’s biggest with relevant countries after United election”, and accord­ trading partner in the first half of States Secretary of State Mike Pom­ ing to them, more this year, accounting for 14.7 percent peo said last week that most of Chi­ UK rebuked for interference in HKSAR Rita Fan than 600,000 voters of the nation’s total foreign trade na’s claims in the area were Hsu Lai­tai cast their ballots. volume, despite the impact of the “completely unlawful”. Wang spoke By MO JINGXI embassy spokesperson said the UK “The report is groundless. It’s It’s dangerous to novel coronavirus. with his Philippine counterpart on [email protected] had once again contravened inter­ maliciously fabricated fake news,” call people to line up Noting China and Laos are the July 14. national law and the basic norms Wang said, noting that the WSJ and cast their ballots without any co­chairs of Lancang­Mekong Coop­ China’s policy in the South China China is firmly opposed to the governing international relations, report which cited so called people special precautions to prevent eration, Li said the virtual meeting Sea remains unchanged, Wang said. United Kingdom’s interference and blatantly interfered in China’s familiar with the matter was cross­infection, Fan said. is to enhance bilateral coordination He accused the US of making in its internal affairs and will internal affairs in an attempt to aimed to sow discord between Chi­ “The overall impression I got and make preparations for the third inflammatory remarks on the South take countermeasures, Foreign disrupt the implementation of the na and the EU. from the ‘pre­election’ is that the LMC leaders’ meeting, which was China Sea issue and continuously Ministry spokesman Wang Wen­ National Security Law for Hong Wang reiterated that China opposition camp cares more about supposed to be held earlier this year sending warships and aircraft to the bin said on Tuesday after the UK Kong SAR and undermine the takes an open attitude toward the their political gains than the but postponed due to COVID­19. region to flex muscle, saying its pur­ announced it will suspend its city’s prosperity and stability. participation of telecommunica­ health of their supporters,” Fan The meeting also aims to commu­ pose is to stir up chaos in the area to extradition treaty with Hong “China urges the UK side to tions companies from all countries, said. nicate the expansion of regional and undermine unity among regional Kong. immediately stop interfering in including European firms such as With the Legislative Council trade connectivity, and send out a countries and obstruct the “China reserves the right to Hong Kong affairs, which are Chi­ Nokia and Ericsson, regarding 5G election, scheduled for Sept 6, positive signal on mutually benefi­ prospects for regional development. react,” Wang told reporters at a na’s internal affairs, in any form. cooperation in the Chinese market. drawing closer, Fan also suggested cial cooperation and a joint response He warned countries in the region regular news briefing in Beijing. The UK will bear the consequen­ According to Wang, the above­ the government consider postpon­ to common challenges, he said. to remain vigilant to US moves. The spokesman stressed that the ces if it insists on going down the mentioned companies have already ing the election in view of the wor­ The premier stressed that China Vietnam is willing to work with affairs of the Hong Kong Special wrong road,” the statement said. won bids on some Chinese projects. sening epidemic. is willing to continue to cooperate China to safeguard peace and stabil­ Administrative Region are China’s At Tuesday’s media briefing, “We also hope European coun­ with Laos in the construction of the ity in the South China Sea and internal affairs that allow no inter­ Wang also refuted a Wall Street tries will provide a fair, just, open China­Laos Economic Corridor and advance bilateral maritime coopera­ ference from any foreign country, Journal report that said China is and non­discriminatory business other major projects, so as to help tion and common development, and he urged the UK to give up its considering retaliating against environment for Chinese compa­ The overall the country to improve sustainable Minh said. fantasies of continuing colonial telecoms equipment makers Nok­ nies,” he said. development capabilities and push It conforms with the interests of influence in the territory and ia and Ericsson if the European impression I got from forward bilateral ties. both countries, and is the common immediately correct its mistakes. Union follows the United States Inside the ‘pre­election’ is Thongloun said that Laos always wish of nations within and outside In a statement released by the and the UK in banning Huawei supports China on issues concern­ the region, he added. Chinese embassy in the UK, the from 5G networks. Editorial, page 10 that the opposition camp cares more Taking about their political Suspension of extradition treaty called gains than the health flight of their supporter.” A night heron, a politically driven and legally untenable Rita Fan Hsu Lai-tai, species under former head of Hong Kong’s leg­ state protection, islature is released back By GANG WEN in Hong Kong lead to the transfer of suspects to into the wild at [email protected] the mainland. Such bias has the Miyun Res­ already been exploited during the “This is not a suitable time for ervoir in Beijing The Hong Kong government The decision shines “Extradition Bill Incident” last the Legislative Council election. on Tuesday. and a local legal pundit said the a spotlight on the real year and causes anxiety and panic For the election candidates, they WANG JING / CHINA United Kingdom’s suspension of among the public of Hong Kong, need to campaign in the streets DAILY its extradition agreement with the possibility that the he said. and reach out to the voters, but special administrative region is a UK will become a Tong also pointed out that the that will result in a lot of people politically driven move that will haven for fugitives suspension of the extradition pact getting together and will pose a allow criminals to evade justice. makes no sense legally because very huge health risk. The govern­ who led the Frugal Four opposition, In a statement issued on Tues­ wanted by Hong the UK government doesn’t need ment needs to consider and sort Deal: Italy, called the deal “a good package that day, a government spokesman Kong who are trying to fear that the extradition treaty out a legal basis to postpone the safeguards Dutch interests and that said the UK’s unilateral decision will be abused. election,” she said, echoing the call will make Europe stronger and more that uses the new National Securi­ to escape legal For one thing, in transfer pro­ of several other pro­establishment Spain to be resilient”. ty Law for Hong Kong as an excuse responsibility. As ceedings between two jurisdic­ figures. Austrian Prime Minister Sebastian to suspend the agreement tions, the decision is always taken Earlier, Hong Kong Senior Coun­ Kurz posted a photo of the Frugal “smacks of political manipulation such, the UK will by local judges and no one else. It sel Ronny Tong Ka­wah, and mem­ major Four leaders on Twitter at 6 am, call­ and double standards” because need to be is the British courts, not Hong bers of the Executive Council of the ing the deal “a good result for the EU the UK itself has many laws Kong’s, that provide a guarantee Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng beneficiaries and Austria”. regarding national security. answerable to the that the extradition arrangement Yuet­ngor, suggested the govern­ The Frugal Four nations won British Foreign Secretary rule of law and the will not be abused, Tong said. ment invoke the Emergency Regu­ From page 1 major concessions in the past days, Dominic Raab said on Monday the On the other hand, under the lations Ordinance or the including a big increase in the UK government will suspend its international standard legal regime around the Prevention and Control of Disease The 750 billion euros now includes rebates on their contributions to the extradition treaty with Hong Kong community.” world, no prisoners held for politi­ (Requirement and Directions) 390 billion euros worth of grants and EU budget. “immediately and indefinitely”, cal crimes or political beliefs can Regulation to delay the election for 360 billion euros in loans, instead of Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe and extend an arms embargo to HKSAR government be extradited. Crimes listed in the a maximum of three months. Some the original 500 billion euros of Conte, who had strongly supported Hong Kong in the wake of the spokesman National Security Law are consid­ other experts suggested that if the grants and 250 billion euros of loans, the original deal, called it “a historic national security legislation. ered political crimes, and of election were to be delayed, the as a result of the compromise with moment for Europe”. Expressing a “strong objection”, tors a chance to escape punish­ course, the offenders will not be government should consider form­ the so­called Frugal Four — the Neth­ Italy and Spain, the EU countries the Hong Kong government ment, he said. extradited under the extradition ing a provisional legislature to erlands, Austria, Sweden and Den­ hit hardest by COVID­19, will be the spokesman said the move is gross The UK’s decision was nothing treaty, he added. avoid a vacuum. mark — joined in the past weeks by major beneficiaries of the deal. The interference in China’s internal more than an excuse to follow the At least two Hong Kong people In Fan’s view, postponing the Finland. European Commission forecast early affairs and a grave violation of United States’ foreign policy in suspected of breaking the law election is a viable option because French President Emmanuel this month that the EU economy international law and basic norms containing China, he said. The were stopped by police before it’s uncertain whether the out­ Macron, who along with German would contract by 8.3 percent this governing international relations. move was neither in line with the heading to the UK in July. In the break can be controlled in the fol­ Chancellor Angela Merkel, support­ year. “The decision shines a spotlight rule­of­law spirit that the UK early hours of July 2, a 24­year­old lowing month and a half. ed the original deal, hailed the agree­ The summit, one of the longest in on the real possibility that the UK boasts, nor did it show respect for man was arrested at Hong Kong “As far as I know, the election can ment as a “historic day for Europe”. EU history, was the first in­person will become a haven for fugitives the rule of law on the Chinese International Airport. He was only be postponed for 14 days in Merkel said she was “very happy” meeting of EU leaders since COVID­ wanted by Hong Kong who are mainland and in Hong Kong, he wanted on suspicion of stabbing a accordance with the electoral law,” with the deal. 19 lockdowns were imposed in trying to escape legal responsibili­ added. police officer at a rally the day Fan suggested. “What counts for me is that we March. It involved many heated ty. As such, the UK will need to be The British move is likely — before. On Thursday, a 17­year­old If the election could be post­ ended up getting it together and that bilateral, small group and plenary answerable to the rule of law and intentionally or unintentionally — girl was found by airport officers poned for more than 14 days until we are now all convinced of what we meetings as the Frugal Four insisted the international community”, the to mislead some people in Hong before she attempted to leave for the situation becomes more stable, decided to do,” she said at a news con­ on fewer grants and more loans and spokesman said. Kong and the international com­ the UK. She was arrested on suspi­ Fan thinks it would not only pro­ ference with Macron. strings attached to the fund. Hong Kong Executive Councilor munity, deepening their misun­ cion of assaulting a police officer in tect residents’ health, but also give The deal will have to be approved One key negotiation involved the and barrister Ronny Tong Ka­wah derstanding of the National Sha Tin in September. The case the Electoral Affairs Commission, by the European Parliament, which hole of about 10 billion euros in the expressed similar concerns. The Security Law, Tong said. was brought to court in March. the city’s election watchdog, more is expected to meet soon for a special EU budget caused by Brexit, which suspension of judicial cooperation The move may foster the mis­ She had been barred from leaving time to mull over measures to deal plenary session. has to be filled by the existing 27 will only undermine social justice conception that crimes commit­ Hong Kong as a condition of her with voter complaints and hold a Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, member states. in both places and give perpetra­ ted in Hong Kong will inevitably bail. fair and impartial election.