A ship carrying the slogan of "celebrating the passage of the Law of the People's Republic of China on Safeguarding National Security in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region" sails at the Victoria Harbour in Hong Kong, south China, July 1, 2020. (Xinhua/Lui Siu Wai)
"The adoption of this law does not pose a threat to the implementation of 'one country, two systems,'" Sevalnev said.
MOSCOW, July 7 (Xinhua) -- Foreign slanders on the Law of the People's Republic of China on Safeguarding National Security in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) interfere in China's domestic affairs and violate the basic principle of international law, a Russian legal expert has said.
Vyacheslav Sevalnev, leading researcher at the Institute of Legislation and Comparative Law under the Government of the Russian Federation, made the remarks in a recent interview with Xinhua, commenting on the so-called Hong Kong Autonomy Act passed in U.S. Congress.
Sevalnev noted that China's top legislature has voted to adopt the national security law for HKSAR, which went into effect on June 30.
"In this regard, any statements or resolutions by foreign states can be considered as meddling in the internal affairs of China and thus a violation of the basic principle of international law on non-interference in the internal affairs of states," he said.
Such a principle is enshrined in the Declaration on the Inadmissibility of Intervention in the Domestic Affairs of States and the Protection of their Independence and Sovereignty adopted by the UN General Assembly in 1965 and the Declaration on Principles of International Law concerning Friendly Relations and Cooperation among States in accordance with the UN Charter adopted by the General Assembly in 1970, he recalled.
As to U.S. lawmakers' criticism of some alleged violations of certain provisions of the 1984 Sino-British Joint Declaration on the Question of Hong Kong, Sevalnev stressed that the United States is neither a party to this document nor authorized to monitor its implementation.
"Such a position is unreasonable from the point of view of international law," he said.
The adoption of the national security law for HKSAR in accordance with international law is China's internal affair, as the legislation is aimed at ensuring national security and social security, as well as protecting the rights and freedoms of citizens from encroachments, the scholar said.
Therefore, it is legitimate for China to enact the law, which does not affect the rights of other countries, he added.
"The sharp reaction of the United States and Britain to the adoption of the Chinese law on safeguarding national security in HKSAR has no legal content and significance. It is related to their economic and political interests," he said.
"The adoption of this law does not pose a threat to the implementation of 'one country, two systems,'" Sevalnev said. ■
