总台央视记者昨天，全国人大常委会审议通过了香港基本法附件一和附件二修订案。英美等国称此举破坏香港民主，损害港人自由，违反《中英联合声明》，违背中方国际义务。中方对此有何评论？

CCTV Yesterday, the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress deliberated on and adopted the amendments to Annex I and II to the Basic Law of the Hong Kong SAR. Some countries including the UK and US have accused this move as a breach of the Sino-British Joint Declaration, undermining Hong Kong's democracy and the freedoms of the Hong Kong residents,and breaking China's international obligations. What is China's comment?

一、英美等国质疑“爱国者治港”原则，实际上“爱国者治理”原则早已是世界各国通行的做法。美英等国在自己的法律中早已对爱国、忠诚确定了严格标准，特别是对公职人员忠于国家的操守作出了明确要求。例如，美国法律规定，政府工作人员基本责任一般原则的第一项即忠于美国宪法和法律；任何人如支持推翻美国宪制和政府，或参与针对美政府的罢工，或参与从事相关活动的组织，不得在美国政府内任职。美国刑法明确规定，犯有暴乱、叛国等罪行的人不得担任公职。美国国会参众两院还设有独立的道德委员会，专门负责监督和调查议员是否有不忠于联邦等行为。美国历史上，有18名国会议员因不忠于联邦被取消议员资格。

First, The UK and the US questioned the principle of "patriots administering Hong Kong". But in fact, the principle of "patriots-administering" has long been a common practice around the world. The US, the UK and some other countries have long established strict standards of patriotism and loyalty in their laws, especially explicit requirements for public officials to be loyal to the state. For example, the law of the United States clearly defines the the basic obligation of public service, and the first of its general principles is to pledge loyalty to the US Constitution and laws. Anyone shall not be allowed to serve in the US government if he/she advocates the overthrow of the constitutional form of government, or participates in a strike against the US government, or participates in an organization that engages in such activities. The US Constitution and criminal law also clearly stipulate that people who commit crimes such as rioting and treason shall be incapable of holding any office in the United States. Both the House and the Senate of the US Congress have independent ethics committees, which are responsible for monitoring and investigating whether members of Congress have committed acts of disloyalty to the United States. In US history, 18 members of Congress have been expelled for disloyalty to the country.  

美国联邦政府承担完善选举制度的责任，通过具体选举规则确保当选的是“爱国者”。英国作为单一制国家，其治下各地选举制度均由中央政府决定。同时，美英均有数量庞大的选举制度立法。仅近两年，美国会议员就提出了40多项关于完善选举制度的法案。就在中国全国人大公布完善香港特区选举制度议程的同一天（美东时间3月3日晚），美国会众议院还通过了一项关于完善选举制度、提高选举安全的“为了人民法案”。英国中央政府制定了超过200件涉及选举的法律、命令、规则等，对英格兰、苏格兰、威尔士、北爱尔兰的议员、市长、警察等选举作出规定。

The US federal government is in charge of the improvements of the country's electoral system. With specific election rules, it ensures that only the "patriots" could be elected. In the UK, a unitary country, the electoral system of each region is decided by the central government of Britain. Both the US and UK have a large number of electoral legislations. In the past two years, members of US Congress have introduced more than 40 bills to improve the electoral system. On the same day (March 3 EST) when China's top legislature announced its agenda for improving Hong Kong's electoral system, the US House of Representatives passed a "For the People Act" to improve the electoral system and ensure election security. Britain has enacted more than 200 acts, orders, and rules relating to the election of members of Parliament, mayors, police and crime commissioners in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

中国中央政府才是香港民主维护者和促进者。回归之后，香港同胞才真正开始当家作主。中央政府始终坚持在宪法和基本法轨道上循序渐进推进符合香港实际情况的民主制度，并为此付出巨大努力。2014年8月，全国人大常委会作出决定，进一步规定香港特区行政长官和立法会实行普选的路线图、时间表。正是反中乱港势力刻意阻挠破坏，否决了普选方案，导致行政长官和立法会普选目标无法实现。2019年的“修例风波”中，反中乱港分子更是明目张胆同外部势力勾结，企图里应外合策动“颜色革命”。他们在西方公开或暗中支持纵容下从事极端暴力犯罪活动，打砸抢烧，用杀伤性凶器袭击警察，对普通市民擅用“私刑”，甚至当街纵火烧人。有的密会外国驻港外交官，挥舞英美国旗，请求美军登陆香港。这些活动严重损害香港宪制秩序和法治秩序，严重危害国家主权、安全、发展利益和香港繁荣稳定。任何一个主权国家对此都绝对不能容忍。这次全国人大修改完善香港选举制度，恰恰体现了中央坚持和完善“一国两制”制度体系、维护香港长期繁荣稳定的良苦用心和历史担当，将更好体现香港居民广泛、均衡的政治参与，更好兼顾社会各阶层、各界别、各方面的利益，有利于提高特区治理效能，为最终实现普选打下良好基础。这才是香港居民真正应该享有的民主，这才是真正有利于维护香港根本利益的长远大计。

In fact, it is the central government of China that has been upholding and promoting democracy in Hong Kong. It was after the return of Hong Kong to the motherland that Hong Kong compatriots really began to take charge of their own affairs. The central government has been committed to promoting Hong Kong's democracy within constitutional and legal framework, and has made tremendous efforts to this end. In August 2014, the NPC Standing Committee further stipulated the roadmap and timetable for selecting the HKSAR's chief executive and forming LegCo through universal suffrage. Unfortunately, the anti-China destabilizing forces in Hong Kong intentionally disrupted the procedure and vetoed the proposal. As a result, the aim of selecting the chief executive and forming LegCo through universal suffrage was hence beyond reach. During Hong Kong's turbulence over the proposed amendment bill in 2019, anti-China rioters in Hong Kong blatantly colluded with external forces in an attempt to instigate a "color revolution". With the open or covert support of the West, the rioters engaged in extremely violent criminal activities, vandalizing, looting, attacking police officers with lethal weapons, lynching innocent citizens and setting people on fire in the streets. Some secretly met with foreign diplomats stationed in Hong Kong; some waved the flags of the US and the UK, and some asked the American troops to land on Hong Kong. These activities have seriously undermined Hong Kong's constitutional and legal order, and jeopardized China's sovereignty, security, development interests and Hong Kong's prosperity and stability. No sovereign country would ever tolerate anything like this. The move to improve the electoral system of the Hong Kong SAR by the National People's Congress embodies, more than anything, the good intention and sense of responsibility of the central government to uphold and improve policy of One Country, Two Systems, and safeguard the long-term prosperity and stability of Hong Kong. It will better ensure extensive and balanced political participation of Hong Kong residents, serve the interests of all social strata, all sectors and all parties of Hong Kong society, help improve the governance efficacy of the Hong Kong SAR, and lay good foundation for eventual realization of universal suffrage. This is the kind of democracy that the Hong Kong people truly deserve, and this is the long-term plan that will truly safeguard the fundamental interests of Hong Kong.

我还想指出，美国和英国的议员是美国选民和英国选民选的，他们无权干涉别国内政。这些议员应该多为他们的选民干实事。英美国内疫情这么重，这么多人丧生，又有这么多人吸毒成瘾，无家可归，流落街头，种族主义、社会不公现象日益严重，这些议员干什么了？他们真正该做的，是倾听本国民众呼声，关心本国民众福祉，管理好本国的事。

I also want to point out that those American and British legislators are elected by their constituents in the US and UK. They have no right to interfere in other countries' internal affairs. These legislators should do something to deliver real benefits to their constituents. What on earth have those legislators done when COVID-19 is still rampant in the US and UK and so many people are dying? What have those legislators done with drug addicts and homeless people in the streets of their constituencies? What have those legislators done about racism and social injustice? What they should really do is to heed the voice of their own people and turn their attention to their own people's well-being and their domestic affairs.