Chinese officials on Wednesday condemned the United Kingdom for sheltering criminals after British Foreign Minister David Lammy and Parliamentary Undersecretary of State Catherine West met with four Hong Kong fugitives.

The UK-based fugitives are Chung Kim-wah, Tony Chung Hon-lam, Carmen Lau Ka-man, and Chloe Cheung Hei-ching. The four all face a charge of incitement to secession and a charge of collusion with a foreign country or with external elements to endanger national security. They were wanted by police, with a bounty of HK$1 million ($128,400).

In a Wednesday statement, a spokesperson for the Chinese embassy in the UK said that Lammy and West’s meeting with the fugitives blatantly interferes with the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region’s rule of law and China’s internal affairs.

The four have been long engaged in anti-China activities, and their actions severely threat national security, harm the Hong Kong SAR’s fundamental interests, and undermine the principle of “one country, two systems”, the spokesperson said.

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It is despicable for the UK to shelter these fugitives, the embassy said.

The spokesperson said that the affairs of the Hong Kong SAR are China's internal matters, and the UK has no right to intervene.

China urges the UK to respect Chinese sovereignty and the rule of law in the Hong Kong SAR, stop endorsing anti-China disruptors in the special administrative region, and cease harboring criminals, the spokesperson said.

A spokesperson for the Commissioner’s Office of China’s Foreign Ministry in the Hong Kong SAR also sharply criticized the UK officials’ inappropriate meeting with the Hong Kong fugitives.

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The UK's actions of cheering on and emboldening anti-China troublemakers in Hong Kong, while making unwarranted comments on the legitimate law enforcement actions of the Hong Kong SAR, constitute a blatant disrespect for the rule of law and a gross interference in China’s internal affairs, the spokesperson said.

Such behavior severely violates international law and the fundamental norms of international relations, the spokesperson added.

The spokesperson reiterated the pivotal role of the National Security Law for Hong Kong in safeguarding national security and ensuring judicial fairness, emphasizing its contribution to the city’s transition from chaos to governance and a promising future.

The spokesperson also urged the UK to recognize the historical reality that Hong Kong returned to the motherland in 1997.

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The people of Hong Kong are now focused on safeguarding their security, revitalizing the economy, and pursuing development. Their voices and aspirations must be respected, the spokesperson added.