Hong Kong file photo

The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government strongly disapproved of and rejected on late Tuesday night the unfounded and biased content targeting the HKSAR's safeguarding of national security, human rights and so on, in the so-called annual report on Hong Kong issued by the European Commission and the High Representative of the European Union (EU) for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy.
      
The HKSAR is an inalienable part of the People's Republic of China. It is a local administrative region that enjoys a high degree of autonomy under "One Country, Two Systems" and comes directly under the central government, a spokesperson from the HKSAR government said. 

The legal basis for implementing "One Country, Two Systems" comprises the Constitution and the Basic Law, which provide constitutional guarantee for fundamental rights and freedoms, including the right to equality before the law, and is buttressed by the rule of law and independent judicial power, the spokesperson said. 
      
The HKSAR government will resolutely, fully and faithfully implement the Hong Kong National Security Law and the Safeguarding National Security Ordinance so as to address, combat, deter and prevent in accordance with the law acts and activities endangering national security.

At the same time, it will safeguard the rights and freedoms enjoyed by Hong Kong people in accordance with the law. Its overarching goal is to ensure the steadfast and successful implementation of One Country, Two Systems. 

The HKSAR government strongly urges the EU to respect facts, abide by the international law and basic norms governing international relations that it claims to uphold, and immediately stop its long-arm jurisdiction and interference in Hong Kong matters, which are purely China's internal affairs, the spokesperson added. 

The Commissioner's Office of China's Foreign Ministry in the HKSAR also voiced its strong dissatisfaction and opposition toward the EU report, saying it smeared the city's rule of law and human rights situation, and distorted the Hong Kong National Security Law and related legislation, according to a statement issued by the office on Wednesday. 

A spokesperson from the office stressed that the Chinese government remains firm in fully and accurately implementing "One Country, Two Systems" with safeguarding sovereignty, security, and development interests as the top principle. The Hong Kong National Security Law and the Safeguarding National Security Ordinance, the spokesperson said, are in line with international practice and provide solid guarantees for Hong Kong's prosperity and openness.

The office's spokesperson noted that Hong Kong continues to rank among the world's top economies in competitiveness, talent, and investment, underscoring international confidence in the city. The law enforcement against acts endangering national security is necessary to uphold the rule of law, while the EU's backing of anti-China forces amounts to interference in Hong Kong's judiciary, the spokesperson said. 

Rights and freedoms, the spokesperson emphasized, are fully protected under the law but cannot cross the red line of national security.

The office urged the EU to stop its political manipulation, respect China's sovereignty, and refrain from interfering in Hong Kong affairs, stressing that no external pressure will weaken China's determination to safeguard "One Country, Two Systems" or Hong Kong's path toward greater prosperity.