HONG KONG - The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government on Wednesday vehemently refuted the report of the United States-China Economic and Security Review Commission (USCC) and firmly opposed the sweeping attacks and unfounded accusations against Hong Kong.

In a statement issued on Wednesday morning, the HKSAR government solemnly urged the US to respect the basic norms governing international relations and stop interfering in the affairs of the HKSAR, which is an inalienable part of the People's Republic of China, enjoys a high degree of autonomy and comes directly under the central government (CPG).

"The report is another vivid example of the blatant interference by the US in Hong Kong's affairs, following the US Congress' successive passage of a host of laws against the HKSAR,” an HKSAR government spokesman was quoted as saying in the statement.

“It is hypocritical for the US to introduce measures to attack China by creating issues in the HKSAR using the excuse of human rights, democracy and autonomy. Such groundless and unjust political maneuvers will achieve nothing but undermining Hong Kong–US relations and hurting US' own interests," he added. 

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The HKSAR government solemnly urged the US to respect the basic norms governing international relations and stop interfering in the affairs of the HKSAR

The HKSAR government strongly refuted the accusation that 'one country, two systems' principle had been  undermined. 

“On the contrary, no one is more committed than the CPG to the implementation of 'one country, two systems' which is the best institutional arrangement to ensure Hong Kong's long-term prosperity and stability,” the spokesman said. 

“President Xi Jinping has stressed that the CPG will unswervingly implement the policy of 'one country, two systems' and ensure that it is fully applied in Hong Kong without being bent or distorted," he added. 

The spokesman said the legal basis for implementing 'one country, two systems' is the Constitution of the People's Republic of China and the Basic Law of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region(Basic Law), and “not the Sino-British Joint Declaration.”

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“As the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has stressed time and again, the Sino-British Joint Declaration stipulated the resumption of exercise of sovereignty by China over Hong Kong and relevant arrangements during the transition period,” the spokesman said.

He said the basic policies regarding Hong Kong declared by China in the Joint Declaration were China's statement of policies, "not commitment to the United Kingdom or an international obligation as some claim."

 “With the resumption of exercise of sovereignty by China over Hong Kong and the completion of follow-up matters, all UK-related provisions have been fulfilled,” he added.

The spokesman also took exception to the comments in the report smearing the National Security Law. 

Noting the numerous laws on national security in the US, he said the attack on the National Security Law “only demonstrates the double standards adopted by the USCC." 

The spokesman said Hong Kong used to be one of the safest cities in the world but it was besieged by escalating violence in 2019 while external forces intensified their interference in Hong Kong affairs and flagrantly glorified the illegal acts of radicals using the excuse of freedom and democracy. 

It was against such background that the National People's Congress (NPC) made the decision on May 28, 2020 that a national law on national security should be enacted to safeguard national security in the HKSAR, the spokesman said.

He said it is totally untrue and biased to say that the National Security Law pays no regard to the rights and freedoms of Hong Kong people or undermines the high degree of autonomy of the HKSAR. 

He noted that the National Security Law clearly stipulates that the HKSAR shall protect the rights and freedoms enjoyed by residents under the Basic Law and the provisions of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. 

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"The National Security Law has clearly stipulated four categories of offences that endanger national security..There is no question of law-abiding persons inadvertently violating the law. The arrests made by the Police are based on evidence and strictly according to the laws in force," he said.

"We must emphasise that no one has any privilege to break the law without facing legal consequences. The Police have a statutory duty to maintain public safety and public order,” the spokesman added.

He also noted that since the implementation of the National Security Law, stability has been restored to society and national security has been safeguarded in the HKSAR. 

The spokesman also said that the decision of postponing the Legislative Council elections by one year was carefully made after assessing the public health risks arising from over three million voters coming out to cast their vote on a day involving over 600 polling stations. 

“As the new wave of the COVID-19 epidemic in July 2020 saw an alarming surge in confirmed cases and deaths, it was necessary to implement various stringent social distancing measures in order to combat the spread of the virus,” he said.

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“With these measures in place, no meaningful electioneering activities could be conducted. The strict boundary control measures also made it impossible for voters from the mainland and overseas to return to cast their vote. In addition, legal, practical and time constraints meant that it was not feasible to introduce alternative method to facilitate electors to vote," he added.

Addressing the report's misguided views on Hong Kong's role as an international financial centre, the government spokesman pointed out that Hong Kong's financial markets and linked exchange rate system had continued to operate in a stable and orderly manner after the implementation of the National Security Law. 

The Hong Kong dollar exchange rate had stayed on the strong side and net inflow of nearly US$47 billion had been registered since June, reflecting international investors' continuous confidence in Hong Kong's financial markets, the spokesman said. 

He also noted that the stock market stayed vibrant and orderly. In the first ten months of 2020, the average daily turnover of the Hong Kong stock market reached $125 billion, an increase of 40 per cent over the same period last year.

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"The HKSAR government has the determination and capability to safeguard Hong Kong's long-term prosperity, stability and financial security for investors to continue operating here..Hong Kong's status as an international financial centre will not change," the spokesman said.

He added that the HKSAR government will will not be intimated by the so-called sanctions unjustifiably imposed by foreign countries.