More than 100 residents of Hong Kong, mostly young people, awaken the city by sending their best wishes to the nation and the city at Wan Chai's Golden Bauhinia Square, on Sept 17, 2019. [Photo/China Daily]

The US Senate passed the so-called Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act of 2019 on Tuesday local time despite strong opposition from the Chinese government.

As a barefaced encouragement to the Hong Kong rioters, this act neglects facts and truth, applies double standards and blatantly interferes in China’s internal affairs.

It is in serious violation of international law and basic norms governing international relations, stirring up trouble against the Chinese people including the Hong Kong compatriots and once again exposing the US hegemonic way of thinking to the entire world.

The US should know that any such bill is nothing but a vain attempt and doomed to fail. It must withdraw the black hand behind the Hong Kong affairs.

Over the past few months, demonstrations in Hong Kong triggered by the revision of the extradition bill have continuously escalated, challenging the bottom line of law, morality and humanity.

The rioters have smashed buildings, committed arson, paralyzed the traffic, assaulted the police officers, injured innocent citizens and even besieged universities and threatened to turn them into riot bridgehead.

They have not only seriously infringed upon the personal safety, freedom of speech and other basic human rights of the Hong Kong citizens, including the police officers, but also undermined the rule of law and social order, wreaked havoc on Hong Kong's prosperity and stability, challenged the bottom line of the principle of "one country, two systems", and positioned Hong Kong in an extremely dangerous situation.

The US, however, turned a blind eye to the crimes committed by the radicals. Under the guise of human rights and freedom, it has grossly interfered in the affairs of Hong Kong and China’s internal affairs, vilified the central government and the government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), and openly supported the illegal activities to oppose China and destabilize Hong Kong.

Sovereign equality and non-interference in other sovereign countries' internal affairs are the most fundamental and important principles of the international law. For a long time, many developing countries, including China, have suffered from foreign interference in their internal affairs. Normally, such interference was in the name of human rights and freedom.

As for this time, the US has adopted a series of policies to manipulate the rioters, fully revealing the country's ill intention of and double standards in meddling in other countries' internal affairs under the guise of human rights and freedom.

The US has never stood up for Hong Kong when the place was colonized by Britain and deprived of human rights and freedom, but it decides now to make irresponsible and slanderous remarks about Hong Kong that enjoys unprecedented rights and freedom.

In fact, the US itself has kept a poor record on human rights, yet it dares to openly comment on Hong Kong, a region with higher ranking in terms of freedom and rule of law.

When dealing with demonstrations back home, the US government authorized the police to suppress the protesters ruthlessly. However, the US officials criticized the Hong Kong police who have been enforcing the law in a restrained and rightful manner, which is a total disregard of the public demand for ending violence and chaos and restoring order in the Hong Kong community.

At a dangerous moment when Hong Kong is sliding towards the abyss of "terrorism", the American politicians, by pushing forward the latest bill regardless of the interests of the general public of Hong Kong, are indeed creating a "safe haven" for the thugs, creating obstacles for the SAR government to stop violence and chaos, and threatening those who uphold the rule of law and order.

The US has fully exposed its absurd and hypocritical double standards by trampling on international law and the basic norms governing international relations, as well as its true intention to conduct hegemonic practices under the disguise of human rights and democracy.

Numerous facts have proven that American politicians never care about Hong Kong's public welfare, democracy, or human rights.

By destroying Hong Kong's position as the international financial, trade and shipping center, intimidating the righteous people who stop violence and control chaos, and blatantly "paving the way" for the thugs, they are doing nothing but gaining political capital and containing China’s development through the chaos in Hong Kong.

At present, stopping violence, curbing chaos and restoring order are the most pressing task for Hong Kong, representing the broadest public will and the most important human right in Hong Kong.

Any attempt by the US to destabilize Hong Kong and impede China's development is wishful thinking. Hong Kong is a part of China, and its affairs must be handled within the framework of the constitution of the People's Republic of China and the basic law of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.

The Chinese government will never allow external forces to do whatever they want on the Hong Kong affairs. No country should expect China to turn a blind eye to any attempt of undermining its sovereignty, security and development interests.

The Chinese government is unshakable in its determination to safeguard national sovereignty, security and development interests, to implement the principle of "one country, two systems", and to oppose any external interference in Hong Kong affairs.

Playing the "Hong Kong card" is doomed to fail. Any bill that violates the basic norms of the international law and international relations and interferes with China's internal affairs will be a scrap of paper.

The US must recognize the current situation, pull back from the cliff, and stop meddling in Hong Kong affairs and China's internal affairs so as to avoid inviting trouble. If the US does not follow through, China will take strong measures as counteraction, and the US must bear all the consequences.