Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor addresses the media at Central Government Offices ahead of a weekly meeting of the Executive Council, June 2, 2020. (PARKER ZHENG / CHINA DAILY)

Hong Kong's Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor said on Tuesday that foreign sanctions of Hong Kong over the proposed national security law represent double standards and are acts of "double swords" that would backfire.

"There is simply no justification whatsoever for any government, any economy to impose sanctions on Hong Kong as a result of the legitimate process of the central authorities taking this decision to enact laws for Hong Kong to better protect national security," Lam said.

There is simply no justification whatsoever for any government, any economy to impose sanctions on Hong Kong as a result of the legitimate process of the central authorities taking this decision to enact laws for Hong Kong to better protect national security.

Carrie Lam, Hong Kong chief executive 

Speaking before the weekly Executive Council meeting, Lam said the US sanctions are hurting others without benefitting itself.

She hoped foreign governments, in handling their relationship with Hong Kong, can adopt an attitude of mutual respect.

READ MORE: US sanctions on HK blasted

"They cannot and should not engage in actions that could further harm the interests of people and businesses at a time when the global economy is taking a severe beating from the pandemic," she added.

"As for foreign sanctions against Hong Kong, I can only blame that on double standards, especially compared to how the local authorities in the United States deal with riots in their own backyards," Lam added.

Lam added that foreign governments will be hurting their own interests in Hong Kong.

Citing the US's long-standing trade surplus with Hong Kong, Lam said the US benefits from bilateral trade in goods with the city.

Over 1,300 American companies in Hong Kong have been treated in exactly the same way as local companies in accessing the Mainland market under the CEPA (the Mainland and Hong Kong Closer Economic Partnership Arrangement), Lam said.

According to the official figures, US enjoyed an HK$300 billion trade surplus with Hong Kong over the past decade.

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"This is my position, I point out the facts and the figures so they will do their own calculations," Lam said.

In Lam's opinion, the proposed national security legislation for Hong Kong, currently being drafted by the National People's Congress Standing Committee, will observe five fundamental principles.

It will firmly safeguard national security, resist external inference in the city and better the system of "one country, two systems", Lam said.

The proposed law will also be drafted in consideration of the principle of governing Hong Kong in strict accordance with the law and uphold the legal rights and freedoms of Hong Kong people, she added.

"I hope people in Hong Kong will first understand why we have now arrived in this situation that the National People's Congress has to act in order to protect national security and also by doing so to protect Hong Kong," she stressed.

Lam will visit Beijing on Wednesday and share her views on national security legislation with central government officials, according to a statement issued by the HKSAR government on Tuesday. She will return to Hong Kong on Thursday morning. During her absence, Chief Secretary for Administration Matthew Cheung Kin-chung will be the acting chief executive.

Secretary for Justice Teresa Cheng Yeuk-wah, Secretary for Security John Lee Ka-chiu, Commissioner of Police Tang Ping-keung and Director of the Chief Executive's Office Chan Kwok-ki will join the visit.