External forces targeting Macau as well as Hong Kong, Chinese official says
- Comments made by Xi Jinping last month intended to encourage China’s ‘rightful struggle’ against foreign interference, says Beijing official in charge of region’s affairs
- Zhang Xiaoming makes remarks in article published by Communist Party journal
The claim was made in an essay by Zhang Xiaoming, Beijing’s top official in charge of Hong Kong and Macau affairs, that was published in the latest issue of Qiushi (Seeking Truth), a bimonthly journal produced by the Chinese Communist Party.
Zhang quoted Xi, who is also general secretary of the Communist Party, as saying that China was firm in safeguarding “national sovereignty, security and people’s interests” and would never tolerate foreign interference in Hong Kong or Macau.
“These comments by general secretary Xi Jinping were a head-on blow to them and meant to serve as an encouragement to us in our rightful struggle and counteractions when external forces are deeply involved in the extradition bill’s turmoil, taking part in and manufacturing the chaos in Hong Kong, and they are also trying to infiltrate Macau,” he said.
Zhang said Hong Kong had suffered “setbacks” but Macau had made great strides in implementing the “one country, two systems” governance model. He said the two cities were different but what Xi said in Macau should serve as “important guidance” for Hong Kong.