BEIJING, Nov. 7 -- A spokesperson for the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council on Thursday voiced strong indignation and condemnation over the knife attack against a Hong Kong lawmaker.

Xu Luying, the spokesperson, called for strong punishment against violence in accordance with the law and stressed a fair, just, safe and orderly environment for elections in Hong Kong.

Junius Ho, a member of the Legislative Council of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), was stabbed in the chest by a male near Tuen Mun on Wednesday morning while he was running for re-election in the district council, said Xu. Two of Ho's colleagues also sustained injuries.

Xu expressed deep condolences for Ho and his colleagues, saying that the shocking attack was not only a serious criminal act but also pure election violence.

She said the mobsters in Hong Kong intend to create a "chilling effect" by threatening and intimidating candidates and their supporters who have voiced opposition against violence so as to affect the election results of the district councils and realize their purpose of seizing political power.

Recently, some mobsters in Hong Kong have stepped up their violence by vandalizing mainland companies, the Xinhua News Agency office and lawmakers' offices, as well as beating and insulting innocent citizens, Xu said.

Extreme violence is absolutely intolerable in any society, said Xu. She also voiced the hope that people of all walks of life in Hong Kong gather stronger positive energy in countering violence, safeguarding the rule of law and ensuring stability.

Just as President Xi Jinping and Vice Premier Han Zheng stressed during their respective meetings with HKSAR Chief Executive Carrie Lam, it is the most important task for Hong Kong at present to bring violence and chaos to an end and restore order, which is also a common responsibility of Hong Kong's administrative, legislative and judicial organs, Xu said.