BEIJING, June 5. /TASS/. China appreciates the statement by Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova that using the UN Security Council for discussion of the Hong Kong situation is nothing else but settling scores between China and the US, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesman Geng Shuang said Friday.
"China holds the words of [Maria] Zakharova in high regard," the diplomat said. "Lately, Zakharova and [Russian Foreign Minister Sergey] Lavrov supported China on Hong Kong-related issues and called on the outside powers to refrain from interfering in China’s internal affairs."
According to the spokesman, the "development of the national security legislation in China’s special administrative district of Hong Kong is China’s internal affair that leaves no space for outside meddling."
"If someone intends to interfere with China’s interests, China will take all necessary response measures," he said.
Earlier, First Deputy Permanent Representative of Russia to the United Nations Dmitry Polyansky claimed that the majority of the UN Security Council members did not support the US/UK idea to discuss China’s plans to adopt the national security legislation in Hong Kong at the Security Council venue.
On Thursday, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova claimed that the attempts to use the Security Council venue to discuss the Hong Kong situation undermine China's sovereignty and are a flagrant violation of the basic norms of the international law, cemented in the UN Charter.
Last week, the Chinese parliament adopted a resolution on preparation of the bill on national security in Hong Kong territory, which would make it possible to maintain order in the special administrative region with higher efficiency. However, some Western nations and supporters of the Hong Kong opposition expressed their concerns over the decision and viewed it as a violation of the "one country, two systems" principle, which guarantees a special autonomous status to the city.