HK, Beijing Slam John Lee Campaign Channel Shutdown

The SAR government and Foreign Ministry have denounced a move by Google to shut down chief executive candidate John Lee's campaign channel on YouTube.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin on Thursday accused Google, the parent company of YouTube, of becoming a "political tool" of the United States government to interfere with other countries' affairs when it terminated Lee's campaign channel in compliance with Washington's sanctions.

He spoke out against what he described as double standards by the US on freedom of speech.

Wang also accused Washington of trying to disrupt the upcoming chief executive election, but made it clear any such effort will be futile.

The SAR administration hit out at Google for terminating Lee's campaign channel as well.

"The HKSAR Government and all sectors of society strongly opposed and expressed extreme outrage at any form of interference in the internal affairs of Hong Kong by foreign forces," a spokesman said in a statement.

The statement went to say the international community should fully acknowledge the fact that Hong Kong's political structure is "a matter within the purview of central authorities", adding that the government will ensure the CE election is held in a fair, just and open manner.

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