BEIJING -- A Chinese central government spokesperson on Monday condemned a Hong Kong-related joint statement by US Secretary of State, British Foreign Secretary and foreign ministers of countries including Australia and Canada, calling the statement a serious infringement on China's internal affairs and judicial sovereignty.

The statement blatantly slandered the law on safeguarding national security in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), and interfered in the Hong Kong police's law enforcement targeting suspected violations of the law by Benny Tai and others, said the spokesperson for the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council.

The statement also exposed the attempts to support anti-China elements who seek to destabilize Hong Kong using elections to endanger China's national security, the spokesperson said.

The remarks by a small number of politicians in these countries are nothing but lies and deliberate smearing, the spokesperson said.

People including Tai have ignored laws in the HKSAR and electoral organs' regulations, seeking to paralyze the HKSAR government and coerce the central and HKSAR governments. Their arrest by the Hong Kong police is necessary, lawful and reasonable, and has won broad support from the Hong Kong society, said the spokesperson.

While describing the attempts in Hong Kong to subvert state power as the pursuit of democracy, those politicians in the United States, Britain, Australia and Canada called the storming of the US Capitol a violent act trampling on democracy and undermining rule of law. "Such double standards are absurd," the spokesperson said.

Since the unrest over the proposed amendment bill took place in Hong Kong in June 2019, a small number of politicians in the United States and some other countries have been constantly meddling in Hong Kong affairs.

Facts have proved that Benny Tai and their ilk are Hong Kong-based political agents of foreign and external forces, the spokesperson said.

As a special administrative region of China, Hong Kong must hold elections in line with the "one country, two systems" principle and the HKSAR Basic Law, the spokesperson said.

China's central government has the determination, strong will and sufficient capability to safeguard national sovereignty, security and development interests to maintain long-term prosperity and stability in Hong Kong under the institutional framework of "one country, two systems," said the spokesperson.

Any attempt to instigate a "color revolution" in China is doomed to fail and all instigators will pay a heavy price, the spokesperson added.