The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government on Friday (Oct. 23) said it "firmly refuted and rejected" what it described as untruthful remarks, slanders, and smears contained in a so-called six-monthly report on the SAR issued by the United Kingdom.
In a statement, the government condemned what it called attempts by the UK to make misleading and irresponsible comments on Hong Kong affairs, alleging that the report distorted facts and "reversed right and wrong." The HKSAR government urged London to immediately stop what it described as "long-arm jurisdiction" and efforts to interfere in the SAR's law-based governance through "despicable political maneuvers."
A government spokesman reiterated that the HKSAR is an inalienable part of China and that Hong Kong enjoys a high degree of autonomy under the "one country, two systems" principle, while also safeguarding national sovereignty, security, and development interests.
The spokesman said the core essence of the Sino-British Joint Declaration concerns China's resumption of the exercise of sovereignty over Hong Kong and "did not authorize the UK to interfere in Hong Kong's affairs after its return to China."
The statement also stressed that the UK has no sovereignty, jurisdiction, or right of supervision over Hong Kong following the city's return, and called on the British side to respect international law and the basic norms governing international relations, and to immediately stop interfering in matters that the HKSAR government described as purely China's internal affairs.
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