A man passes by the East Wing Forecourt (the Forecourt) of the Central Government Offices (CGO), Tamar, Hong Kong, on Dec 28, 2017.  (PARKER ZHENG / CHINA DAILY)

HONG KONG – The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government on Wednesday strongly condemned the illegal acts of vandalism committed against the city’s trade office in London.

In a statement, an HKSAR government spokesman called on the British police to apprehend the culprits behind the vandalism of the premises of the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in the UK capital.

An HKSAR government spokesman said the London ETO has notified local police and stressed that vandals must face legal consequences as soon as possible

“The Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development of the HKSARG has contacted the British Consul-General in Hong Kong to express his deep concern for the incident, and requested the British police to take action to protect the legal rights and interests of the London ETO,” the statement reads.

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“The Consul-General undertook to reflect the matter to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office of the United Kingdom and London Police, and follow-up as appropriate.”

On Aug 29, unidentified persons sprayed indecent and offensive language on the entrance of the London ETO and defiled the regional emblem of the HKSAR under the cover of darkness.

The spokesman said the London ETO has notified local police and stressed that vandals must face legal consequences as soon as possible.

He emphasized that such vandalism is an outright challenge to the HKSAR government and “reflected the nefarious intentions of destabilizing foreign forces to cause chaos and disruption in Hong Kong”.

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The spokesman called on the British police to handle the matter seriously in accordance with its obligation to safeguard the property of the London ETO and the personal safety of its staff.