The Foreign Ministry of China announced on Thursday that it would suspend the agreement on mutual legal assistance in criminal matters between the government of the United States and the government of Hong Kong.

The announcement came in response to the “erogenous” move of the US government to suspend three bilateral agreements with the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) government. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced earlier in the week that “the Chinese Communist Party chose to crush the freedoms and autonomy of the people of Hong Kong. Because of the CCP’s actions, we are terminating or suspending three of our bilateral agreements with the territory.” These agreements covered the surrender of fugitive offenders, the transfer of sentenced persons, and reciprocal tax exemptions on income derived from the international operation of ships.

The Hong Kong SAR government issued a statement that called US government’s move an example of double standards. A spokesperson pointed to US laws like the National Security Act, the Logan Act, the USA Patriot Act, and the Homeland Security Act and drew a parallel between these US laws and Hong Kong National Security Law. He observed that both countries had enacted their respective legislations for safeguarding national security and sovereignty. The spokesperson further said,

“The US has unilaterally suspended the SFO agreement with the HKSAR using the enactment of the Law of the People’s Republic of China on Safeguarding National Security in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region as an excuse. The move by the US does not only smack of political manipulation and double standards but is also gross interference in China’s internal affairs and a grave violation of international law and basic norms governing international relations. It has politicized juridical co-operation, thereby seriously damaging the basis of juridical co-operation between the HKSAR and the US.”

China’s Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Zhao Lijian echoed the sentiments in a press conference, saying “I want to stress again that Hong Kong affairs are China’s internal affairs and no external force has any right to interfere. China urges the US side to immediately rectify its wrong decision, stop having a hand in Hong Kong affairs and China’s other internal affairs, and refrain from moving further down the wrong path.”