China says denying del Rosario entry to HK is a prerogative

June 21, 2019

China on Friday said denying foreigners entry is a prerogative after former Foreign Secretary Albert Del Rosario was stopped from entering Hong Kong to attend a business meeting.

"It is entirely within China's sovereignty to allow or deny one's entry," said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lu Kang in a press briefing in Beijing.

''Like all other countries, China's central government and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government deal with foreigners' entry and exit in accordance with the law," Lu said.

Despite a diplomatic passport, Del Rosario was held for six hours on Friday and was sent back to Manila in the afternoon.

Del Rosario said it was a "clear harassment" and a violation of the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations.

But China said a diplomatic passport does not grant a person entry to any country or territory.

Del Rosario led efforts to bring the country's sea dispute with China to international arbitration that was won by the Philippines in 2016.

Del Rosario and former Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales filed a case against Chinese President Xi Jinping before the International Criminal Court over China's actions in the South China Sea.

Carpio-Morales was held at the Hong Kong airport last month with her family. DMS