China rejects US embassy call to free HK activists

China has rejected America's call for the "immediate release" of a group of Hong Kong democracy activists facing trial in China, after they attempted to escape the territory by speedboat for Taiwan.

Beijing: China on Monday rejected America's call for the "immediate release" of a group of Hong Kong democracy activists facing trial in China, after they attempted to escape the territory by speedboat for Taiwan.

Zhao Lijian dismissed the demand - from the US Embassy in Beijing - as interference in China's "judicial sovereignty."

The trial began earlier Monday in Shenzhen, just across the border from Hong Kong.

"China is a country under the rule of law where the laws must be followed and violations must be punished," Zhao told reporters at a news conference in Beijing.

He said the US should "immediately stop interfering in China's internal affairs with the Hong Kong issue and China's judicial sovereignty".

Zhao was also asked about a former lawyer, Zhang Zhan, who was given a four-year jail sentence for "provoking trouble" on Monday after reporting on the early stages of the coronavirus outbreak.

Zhao insisted that China allowed freedom of speech "according to law".

"China is a country under the rule of law and Chinese judicial organs have consistently handled cases in accordance with the law," he said.

Zhao added that China "firmly opposes" the Taiwan Assurance Act of 2020 that the US President Donald Trump signed into law on Sunday.

The Act expresses support for the normalisation of regular arms sales to strengthen Taiwan's self-defence capabilities.

"The Taiwan issue concerns China's sovereignty and territorial integrity," Zhao said.

"The US side should stop meddling in China's internal affairs regarding the Taiwan issue."

AP