The Chinese Communist Party launched a scathing attack on Friday against U.S. and British government efforts to hold Beijing accountable for its repression in Hong Kong.

The pressure is justified in light of China’s passage this week of its so-called “Patriots Law.” That law strips Hong Kong of the democratic character that China, under its treaty obligations via the signing of the 1984 Sino-British joint declaration, had promised to respect until at least 2047. What China is doing in Hong Kong is thus both a legal and moral travesty, deserving of outrage and diplomatic response.