China calls Biden's comments on Apple Daily 'baseless'

China on Friday slammed U.S. President Joe Biden's comments on the closure of Hong Kong's

Apple Daily

, calling the remarks "baseless", and restated the arrest of the newspaper's senior executives is not a crackdown on "press freedom."

Biden on Thursday called the shutdown of

Apple Daily

a "sad day for media freedom."

The arrest made by the police of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) is to fight crime and safeguard social order and justice, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian said at a regular press briefing.

The HKSAR is a law-based society, and no individual or institution is above the law, he said.

Zhao responded to a few media outlets calling the

Apple Daily

probe a crackdown on "press freedom," calling them either "playing the fool" or "confusing right and wrong."

He urged the U.S. to respect facts, and stop obstructing the law enforcement in the HKSAR and interfering in China's internal affairs.

Apple Daily

said on Wednesday afternoon that it will roll off its last print edition on Thursday and stop updating its website after midnight.

Carrie Lam:

Apple Daily

probed for breaching national security law, not press freedom