Beijing regime is utilising the National Security Law to eliminate dissent and opposing political views, the countries' ministers said on Sunday in a joint statement.

Chiefs of diplomacy from the United States, Canada, Britain and Australia condemned last week's arrest of 53 democracy activists in Hong Kong in a joint statement on Sunday, calling on China to respect the freedom of the people on the island.

Hong Kong police made the arrests on Wednesday and Thursday in the early morning raids, the biggest crackdown since China imposed a security law in 2020, which opponents say is aimed at quashing dissent in the free city.

It is clear that the National Security Law is being used to eliminate dissent and opposing political views, the four countries foreign ministers said in the joint statement issued by Foreign Minister Marise Payne.

We call on the Hong Kong and Chinese central authorities to respect
the legally guaranteed rights and freedoms of the people of Hong Kong
without fear of arrest and detention

The statement was signed by Foreign Minister Marise Payne, Francois-Philippe Champagne of Canada, Dominic Raab of the U.K. and Mike Pompeo of the United States.

We call on the Hong Kong and Chinese central authorities to respect the legally guaranteed rights and freedoms of the people of Hong Kong without fear of arrest and detention, Ms Payne emphasised.

On Thursday, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Washington may sanction those involved in the arrests and will send the US ambassador to the United Nations to visit Taiwan.