The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government on Friday firmly refuted and rejected what it termed “untruthful remarks, slanders and smears” about the city in a so-called six-monthly report on the SAR issued by the United Kingdom.

Condemning the UK's attempt to make misleading and irresponsible remarks about Hong Kong matters, distort facts and reverse right and wrong, the government urged London to immediately stop its long-arm jurisdiction and attempt to interfere in the SAR government's law-based governance “by despicable political maneuvers.”

Reiterating that the HKSAR is an inalienable part of China enjoying a high degree of autonomy under the "one country, two systems" principle, a spokesman for the HKSAR government said the city steadfastly safeguards national sovereignty, security and development interests.

“The core essence of the Sino-British Joint Declaration is about China's resumption of the exercise of sovereignty over Hong Kong. It did not authorize the UK to interfere in Hong Kong's affairs after its return to the motherland,” the spokesman said in a statement.

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Reminding the UK that it has no sovereignty, jurisdiction or right of supervision over Hong Kong after its return to the motherland, the SAR government strongly urged the UK again to respect international law and basic norms governing international relations and immediately stop its interference in the HKSAR’s matters, which are purely China's internal affairs."