Non-interference in the domestic affairs of an independent and sovereign country is one of the fundamental principles of international relations. The principle of non-interference is stipulated in related international laws and firmly stated in Article 2 (7) of the United Nations (UN) Charter.

Most countries have always continued to abide by the principle of non-interference in regards to their international relations and foreign affairs. As the second-largest economy of the world, China has also strictly followed this fundamental principle of international relations.

Photo taken on July 1, 2020 shows the Golden Bauhinia Square in Hong Kong, south China. (Xinhua/Li Gang)

China has long maintained its stance of mutual non-interference, which has served as one of its core principles of foreign policy since 1954. The country is only focused on its development and deliberately avoids any sort of conflict or confrontation, let alone interfering in the internal affairs of other countries.

However, some countries, especially in the West, have continuously violated the globally accepted principle of non-interference. The current superpower in our unipolar world has a long history of interfering in the domestic affairs of other nations.

In 2013, the Pew Research Center reported in their poll “American’s Place in the World 2013”, which revealed that 52 percent of respondents agreed that the US ‘should mind its own business internationally and let other countries get along the best they can on their own’. That was the largest percentage of people to answer in this way in the history of polling on that question, which pollsters began asking in 1964, according to the International Judicial Monitor.

In past years, the countries of the West have not even spared China in their attempts to meddle in others’ business. They have continued to brazenly interfere in a variety of the socialist nation’s domestic affairs. Hong Kong, an inseparable part of China, is just one of the striking examples of how the Western block has meddled in and violated the principle of non-interference.

In recent years, they have left no stone unturned to destabilize one of the richest regions of China by employing their protégés. They have been unsuccessful in their mission in Hong Kong, with China having since put the National Security Law into effect. But nothing can stop the Western powers from indulging in their ulterior motives over the Chinese city.

Now, Western countries have again come together to rally against China as its ongoing legislative session is expected to improve the electoral system of Hong Kong to safeguard an administration of patriots in the autonomous region.

The electoral system is being improved based on a wider consensus of people from all walks of life in the region. But Western countries are poking their nose into the matter, breaching all norms and values of diplomacy.

The US condemned and called the planned overhaul of the electoral system a direct attack on autonomy, freedom of speech and democracy.

In my eyes, the aforementioned actions by the West prove that they never truly believed in established diplomatic norms and values. By acting so, they are directly interfering in the domestic affairs of China and breaking the principle of non-interference in international relations.

These illegitimate actions arise from their own internal quagmires, reflecting an innate anxiety over China’s growing strength and prosperity. I think, for the greater interest of a more stable, peaceful, and prosperous Hong Kong, they must stop interfering in the region from now on. If they continue infringing on the principle of non-interference, their actions will eventually boomerang on themselves.

This is an excerpt of an article published at Chinatimes24.com.

The author is a news editor and broadcast journalist at China Media Group (CMG) in Beijing, China.