China has rebuked Canada for criticizing national security law for Hong Kong.  

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced on Friday that Canada was suspending its extradition deal with Hong Kong amid the security law. Canada’s foreign minister termed the legislation “a significant step back” for liberty.

Canada had “grossly interfered” in Chinese matters, China’s embassy in Ottawa said in a statement. It also said that the new law would ensure security in Hong Kong.

A spokesperson stated, “Some western countries including Canada have been meddling in Hong Kong affairs under the pretext of human rights, which seriously violates international law and basic norms of international relations,”

“Hong Kong affairs are entirely China’s internal affairs and allow no foreign interference.”

Hong Kong officials have expressed disappointment in Canada’s decision to suspend the extradition treaty.

Canada has not commented on the matter yet.

The relations between Beijing and Ottawa are not stable since 2018 when Canadaarrested Meng Wanzhou, the chief financial officer of Huawei, on a US warrant.

After Meng’s arrest, China arrested Canadian citizens Michael Kovrig, a former diplomat, and Michael Spavor, a businessman. They were charged with spying.

China appoints hard-line security chief in Hong Kong

A hard-line figure has been appointed by China as head of its new security agency in Hong Kong.

Zheng Yanxiong has enjoyed the most senior designation of the secretary-general of the Communist Party committee in the southern province of Guangdong.

He is renowned for his role in handling protests over a land dispute in the southern Chinese village of Wukan in 2011. At that time, he slammed the villagers for talking to “a few rotten foreign media organizations” instead of the government regarding their issues.