Dear Editor,
On September 30, the Stabroek News reprinted an article full of lies and prejudice written by Chris Patten, maliciously slandering Chinese leaders and making baseless and false statements on China-related affairs. This article may easily mislead the readers and the Chinese Embassy finds it not understandable and unacceptable.
As the “last British governor of Hong Kong”, Patten still cannot recognize the fact that Hong Kong has returned to its motherland for 23 years. He sticks to the old colonial thinking and keeps pointing his fingers at the affairs of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of China. Such irresponsible action that goes against the historical trend is laughable and shameful! During the British colonial rule of Hong Kong, the Chinese, who accounted for 98% of Hong Kong’s population, could not enjoy equal citizenship and participation in politics. What kind of democracy did Hong Kong people have at that time? Did Hong Kong people have the freedom to parade? No. It was after the return of Hong Kong that the Chinese government, in accordance with the Constitution and the Basic Law, effectively implemented the principles of “One Country, Two Systems”, “Hong Kong people administering Hong Kong”, and a high degree of autonomy to ensure that Hong Kong residents enjoy unprecedented democratic rights and freedoms in accordance with the law. The Hong Kong national security legislation will make Hong Kong residents better exercise their legitimate rights and freedoms in a safe environment, the legal system in Hong Kong more complete, and social order more stable. It will also ensure the long term peace and stability of Hong Kong and effectively protect the well-being of Hong Kong people.
Patten unreasonably accused the Chinese government’s efforts to fight the epidemic and the good achievements. The fact is that the Chinese government has adopted the most comprehensive, strict and thorough prevention and control measures in the shortest time, effectively cutting off the chain of virus transmission. The research report of the U.S. Science magazine assessed that the above-mentioned measures have reduced the number of infected persons in China by more than 700,000. China’s response measures are open and transparent, without any concealment or delay. The National Health Commission of China publishes COVID-19 data daily in all provinces across the country to ensure that the data is accurate and reliable. Any under-reporting or misreporting will be held accountable. In the spirit of the community of health for mankind, China timely and actively informed of the disease information to the World Health Organization and the United States and other countries, shared the information of the genome sequence of the novel coronavirus to the world, shared experiences of epidemic prevention and control and provided material assistance to the international community. In the words of the Director-General of the World Health Organization, Dr Tedros, China has bought precious time for the global fight against the epidemic at a great cost. Studies in many countries have proved that the epidemic in their countries was not caused by imported cases from China.
The Australian Strategic Policy Institute cited by Patten has long received funding from external forces and concocted anti-China lies. It has been questioned by many and has no academic credibility. The so-called Xinjiang “detention camps” fabricated by this institute do not exist. The addresses of these “detention camps” released by this institute are also fake, some of which are electronic industrial parks, and one of which is even a “five-star rating” residential area. Such a shoddy report has no credibility at all. The fact is that the freedom of religious belief and other rights of the people of all ethnic groups in Xinjiang are fully guaranteed and effectively maintained in accordance with the law. Since 1978, the Uighur population in Xinjiang has increased from 5.55 million to more than 12 million, more than 10 times the increase of the rate of the Han population during the same period. The so-called “genocide” argument is a sensational nonsense deliberately fabricated for the purpose of slandering China.
As for the South China Sea affairs, China’s sovereignty and rights in the South China Sea have been formed in the course of a long history. The relevant islands and reefs and waters in the South China Sea are China’s territory. China’s construction activities on its own territory are mainly to serve various civil needs in the South China Sea, to provide more public products and services to the region and the international community, and to fulfill China’s international responsibilities and obligations. The deployment of necessary defence facilities is the exercise of the right of self-preservation and self-defence granted by international law. They are within the scope of China’s sovereignty. They are reasonable, logical and legal, and have nothing to do with militarization. This is essentially no different from the fact that many countries deploy defence facilities on their own territories. China has the determination and ability to firmly safeguard national sovereignty and territorial security, and will continue to work firmly with countries in the region to jointly maintain peace and stability in the South China Sea.
Finally, China is ready to establish and develop friendly relations of cooperation with all the countries on the basis of mutual respect and common benefits. We never base our development at the sacrifice of others’ interests, nor do we ever give up our own legitimate rights and interests.
The slander of China by Patten and others is nothing new but clichés. They have tried to spread these rumours over and over again, which only shows that there is no market for these rumours. I believe Guyanese friends have independent judgement, and will stay alert to the above remarks that have ulterior motives and not be misled.
Yours faithfully,
Chen Xilai
Deputy Chief of the Chinese
Embassy