Question: Mr James Cleverly, Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, said in an interview recently that China is an incredibly challenging country on the international stage, and that China’s behaviour is “unacceptable” on affairs related to Xinjiang and Hong Kong. What is the Embassy's comment on this?

Embassy Spokesperson: The remarks by the British side are a distortion of the facts and slander against China. China firmly opposes it.

China has always respected the sovereignty of other countries and opposed interference in other countries' internal affairs; upheld peace and stability and rejected war and turmoil; stood for dialogue and cooperation and opposed confrontation and rivalry; and advocated multilateralism and stood against unilateralism. In contrast, the UK and the US frequently interfere in the internal affairs of other countries, create conflicts and frictions across the world, and practice double standard in international affairs. Who is challenging and undermining the international order? The international community has a fair judgment.

As for affairs related to Xinjiang and Hong Kong, these are purely China's internal affairs, and the British side has no right to make irresponsible remarks. The Chinese government's policies on Xinjiang and Hong Kong are conducive to safeguarding human rights, promoting development, and achieving long-term peace and stability. No one can stop the Chinese people from running our country according to our own will.

We urge the UK side to abandon ideological prejudice, respect the facts, and keep pace with the times. The UK should stop lecturing others, stop pointing fingers at other countries, and stop interfering in China's internal affairs. Only by following the principles of mutual respect, equality and mutual benefit can China-UK relations develop in a healthy manner.