The government and the Legislative Council of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region on Friday firmly refuted and rejected what they 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 HKSAR government and the LegCo issued separate statements urging 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.

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."

The SAR government reiterated that it steadfastly safeguards the legally protected rights and freedoms enjoyed by Hong Kong people, adding that the city's media landscape has remained vibrant since the implementation of the SAR’s National Security Law (NSL) and the Safeguarding National Security Ordinance (SNSO).

Pointing out the UK's hypocritical double standards, the statement highlighted that the UK had arrested, as of June 2026, nearly 4,000 people under its own national security and counter-terrorism laws. It is utterly ugly and despicable that the UK smeared the SAR’s NSL and the city's law enforcement efforts as “undermining rights and freedoms”, the government added.

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It further stated that the implementation of the NSL has brought freedom, stability and improvements to the local business environment, with Hong Kong continuing to be recognized as the world’s freest economy.

Stressing that Hong Kong society is underpinned by the rule of law, the HKSAR government said any suggestion that certain individuals or organizations should be immune from consequences for acting illegally runs contrary to the spirit of the rule of law.

Pointing out that the HKSAR is an inalienable part of China, the LegCo said in its statement that the Sino-British Joint Declaration is China's resumption of the exercise of sovereignty over Hong Kong, not an "international treaty" that confers upon the UK any continuous right of supervision over the HKSAR after its return to the motherland.

With China's resumption of the exercise of sovereignty over Hong Kong in 1997, all rights and obligations concerning the UK under the Joint Declaration have been completely fulfilled, a LegCo spokesman said, adding that the UK has no sovereignty, jurisdiction or right of supervision over the HKSAR, and has no right whatsoever to interfere in the affairs of the region.

The SAR’s NSL and the SNSO are institutional foundations for the city to restore order, safeguard freedom and development, the spokesman said.

The UK report portrays the SAR’s improvement of national security legislation and law enforcement as an erosion of rights and freedoms, while deliberately evading the fundamental fact that prior to the implementation of the NSL, Hong Kong experienced severe violent turmoil, public order was severely impacted, and the personal safety and normal lives of citizens were directly threatened, the spokesman pointed out.

Reiterating that Hong Kong is a society underpinned by the rule of law, the LegCo spokesman said courts in the city strictly follow the law to adjudicate cases concerning offenses endangering national security, including the "Lai Chee-ying case", in a fair and impartial manner.

The UK government's so-called report groundlessly attacks Hong Kong's judicial system and trials, and even unreasonably demands the release of convicted persons, which is overtly placing politics above court judgments, the LegCo spokesman said, terming it as a blatant trampling on the rule of law and a gross interference in Hong Kong's judicial independence.

Hong Kong has entered a new stage of advancing from stability to prosperity, where security and legal systems are effectively safeguarded, governance efficacy is enhanced, social order is stable, the business environment is continuously optimized, and residents' rights and freedoms are fully protected in accordance with the law, the spokesman said.

If the UK is genuinely concerned about the city, it should face these facts and establish a pragmatic and constructive relationship with the SAR, added the spokesman.