Arab News Japan

TOKYO: Following the enactment of the “Safeguarding National Security Bill” in Hong Kong on Tuesday, the Japanese government has expressed “grave concern” for democracy and freedoms in the former British territory and says the bill “will further undermine the confidence in the ‘One Country, Two Systems’ framework.”

A statement issued by Foreign Ministry Press Secretary KOBAYASHI Maki notes that since its return from British rule to China in 1997, Hong Kong has enjoyed prosperity brought about “by a free and open system where diverse opinions are respected under the ‘One Country, Two Systems’ framework.”

“It is the long-standing position of Japan to attach great importance to upholding a free and open system and ensuring the democratic and stable development of Hong Kong.”

The statement said that Japan’s “grave concern is intensifying” due to developments such as the enactment of the National Security Law in June 2020 and the change of the provisions on the electoral system in the Hong Kong Basic Law in March 2021, “which undermine the confidence in the ‘One Country, Two Systems’ framework.”

It concludes by stating that Japan will continue to observe developments surrounding Hong Kong and calls on the Chinese and Hong Kong authorities “to ensure that the activities and rights of Japanese nationals and companies in Hong Kong … continue to be respected and protected in the same manner as before, and that the rights and freedoms of the people in Hong Kong are respected.”