China slams US offer of 'safe haven' to Hong Kong people as interference

China's foreign ministry branch in Hong Kong slammed US President Joe Biden's offer of temporary “safe haven” to Hong Kong residents in the US as “violently intervening” in the city's internal affairs.

“By offering so-called ‘safe haven’, it is trying to bad-mouth Hong Kong, smear China, and engage in actions to destroy the city’s prosperity and stability,” the ministry said in a statement on Friday.

Biden directed the Department of Homeland Security to implement a “deferral of removal” for up to 18 months for Hong Kong residents currently in the US.