China has accused Britain and the United States of "malicious intentions" after they condemned Hong Kong police for offering bounties for information leading to the capture of five overseas activists.
Hong Kong police yesterday added five more overseas-based activists to a list of wanted people, offering bounties for information leading to their arrest in a continuing crackdown on dissent under a China-imposed national security law.
The city's authorities said yesterday that the wanted individuals would be pursued "till the end" as they offered HK$1,000,000 (€116,800) bounties for help catching them.
The move was strongly condemned by Washington, while London called it "a threat to our democracy and fundamental human rights".
But China said today that the Hong Kong police force's desire to arrest the activists was "necessary and legitimate" on national security grounds and was in line with international law.
"The national security laws of other countries, including the United States and Britain, also have extraterritorial effects," said Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning at a regular press briefing.
"By cheering on these anti-China individuals that are bringing havoc to Hong Kong, the United States and Britain are exposing their malicious intentions in messing up Hong Kong," Ms Mao added.
The move, which adds to a list of eight overseas activists deemed fugitives by authorities in July, triggered criticism from governments in the US and UK.
Hong Kong's actions 'egregious' - US
The five are Simon Cheng, Frances Hui, Joey Siu, Johnny Fok and Tony Choi, who are now based in various countries including the US and Britain.
The US condemned the "egregious actions" taken by Hong Kong authorities after they offered bounties for information leading to the arrest of several overseas activists, continuing a crackdown on dissent under a China-imposed national security law.
State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller told reporters at a regular briefing that the US deplores any attempt to apply Hong Kong's national security law extra-territorially.
The UK said it "will not tolerate" attempts to "intimidate, harass or harm" individuals in Britain, UK Foreign Secretary David Cameron said.
"I have instructed officials in Hong Kong, Beijing and London to raise this issue as a matter of urgency with the Hong Kong and Chinese authorities," Mr Cameron said in statement released by the British foreign office.
"We will not tolerate any attempt by any foreign power to intimidate, harass or harm individuals or communities in the UK.
"This is a threat to our democracy and fundamental human rights," Mr Cameron said.
He called on Beijing to repeal the China-imposed national security law.
Hong Kong authorities said the five were suspected of incitement to secession, incitement to subversion, and foreign collusion, crimes that can carry sentences of up to life in prison.
