The slanderous comments on Hong Kong that the US-China Economic and Security Review Commission (USCC) made in its recently issued annual report were nothing short of a malicious attack on China and the special administrative region.

The report, which is replete with lies, distortions and double standards, simply exposes those US politicians’ unquenchable animosity toward China and erodes Washington’s credibility; it won’t serve their China-bashing purposes.

The report accused Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu of serving as “Beijing’s enforcer of the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) interests in reversing the territory’s once democratic institutions and civil society”, and claimed that “The CCP now controls Hong Kong’s political, judicial, religious, and education systems.”  

Such groundless claims are pure slander.

For almost 40 years, the tenacious, committed and dedicated 65-year-old Hong Kong leader has served the city with integrity and expertise. He was elected by a broad and representative committee of Hong Kong residents, and he has earned the confidence and backing of both the central government and the majority of Hong Kong residents. He has worked relentlessly to restore order and stability in Hong Kong, as well as to promote the city’s development and prosperity. 

Although this year’s crime rates in Hong Kong are higher than those recorded during the pandemic, they are still lower than the numbers recorded prior to the COVID-19 outbreak as well as the numbers recorded in other developed economies 

(The rise in this year’s crime rates has to do with life in the city returning to normal and the fact that there are more interactions among people). For instance, Hong Kong has the third-lowest murder rate in the world (0.3 per 100,000 inhabitants) in 2021, which is far lower than the US murder rate (6.81), according to UN Office on Drugs and Crime.

The chief executive deserves credit for the city’s much safer environment. He has vigorously safeguarded the rule of law, protected the rights and freedoms of Hong Kong residents, and upheld the “one country, two systems” principle in his present and past positions.

The central government respects Hong Kong’s high degree of autonomy and does not intervene in the city’s affairs. 

Hong Kong’s judiciary handles legal cases independently and impartially, adhering to the common law tradition. The religious and educational sectors of Hong Kong are diverse and inclusive, ensuring freedom of belief and expression.

Beijing’s efforts to rehabilitate Hong Kong’s international image are genuine and effective, as they exhibit Hong Kong’s advantages and potential to the rest of the world

The report claimed that under the National Security Law for Hong Kong (NSL), “the central government in Beijing has the authority to intervene in any legal case in which it sees an ‘intractable’ problem or determines that the city is unable to resolve the problem on its own.” 

This assertion is a deliberate distortion of the NSL. The NSL does not grant the central government the power to intervene in Hong Kong’s legal proceedings. It only stipulates that a national security case in Hong Kong can be tried in the Chinese mainland if the HKSAR government is unable to effectively enforce the law when a “serious situation occurs” or “a major and imminent threat to national security has occurred”. 

The NSL ensures that Hong Kong’s legal procedures, principles and standards are respected and followed in the handling of such situations.

The report also accused the HKSAR government of “attempting to extend its reach, taking an extraterritorial approach to enforcement…charging individuals overseas on national security grounds”.

Such accusations are both ludicrous and hypocritical. The HKSAR government has every right to pursue fugitives who have violated the NSL. Regardless of whether they are based in Hong Kong or not, any individual who has engaged in secession, subversion, terrorism, or collaboration with foreign forces with the intent to endanger China’s national security is punishable under the NSL. Extraterritoriality is a common and appropriate practice in many countries, including the United States, which exercises extraterritoriality in handling offenses against national security and interests.

The HKSAR authorities have not pursued individuals from foreign nations on national security grounds but only issued arrest warrants for people who were suspected of having violated the NSL and who had fled the city. 

The HKSAR government did not place bounties on “overseas pro-democracy activists” but on alleged national security offenders.

And the HKSAR government did not intimidate the families of those suspects but alerted them to the legal ramifications of aiding suspects of national security offenses.

The report claimed that Hong Kong’s civil society was “weakened further this year”;  it accused Beijing of imposing “new restrictions on free speech and assembly”. Such assertions distorted facts. 

Hong Kong’s civil society remains robust; and freedom of speech and assembly are intact. The Hong Kong Free Press, for instance, continues to report critically and independently. In Hong Kong, Beijing has not imposed restrictions on religious organizations, labor rights, or the press. Only activities that incite hatred or undermine national security are prohibited by the NSL. The NSL does not affect the normal and lawful operations of any Hong Kong organizations or the lives of law-abiding people. Similarly, it does not restrict Hong Kong residents’ freedom of expression or assembly; it merely requires them to abide by the law and respect the national anthem. It does not compel organizations to disband; rather, it holds them accountable for any illegal acts they have committed.

Last but not least, the report alleged that “faced with the continued departure of international firms and human capital, Hong Kong is seeking to draw in mainland Chinese business and talent to boost its flagging domestic economy. Chinese nationals and businesses have flooded Hong Kong’s labor force and economy, solidifying Hong Kong’s reliance on mainland China. Beijing’s efforts to rehabilitate Hong Kong’s international image are cosmetic, designed purely to attract foreign business.”  

The fact is, some 272 new businesses started operation in Hong Kong this year. Hong Kong welcomes businesses and talent from the mainland as well as from overseas.  

Hong Kong benefits from the inflow of capital and talent from the mainland, particularly from their innovativeness and dynamism. Hong Kong is not reliant on the mainland; it plays a significant role in national development, particularly in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and the Belt and Road Initiative. Hong Kong remains a robust global financial, commerce and innovation hub, contrary to what the report says. Beijing’s efforts to rehabilitate Hong Kong’s international image are genuine and effective, as they exhibit Hong Kong’s advantages and potential to the rest of the world.

In essence, the USCC report on Hong Kong is baseless and should be denounced by all fair-minded individuals. China, including the HKSAR, will safeguard national interests and security at all costs. US politicians would do better if they stopped interfering in Hong Kong’s affairs.

The author is a Legislative Council member, founder of Save HK and a member of the Central Committee of the New People’s Party.

The views do not necessarily reflect those of China Daily.