Govt Rejects 'sweeping Remarks' By US About HK

The Hong Kong government hit back on Thursday at what it called "sweeping remarks" in a "so-called report" issued by the US State Department.

In the report, released on Thursday, the State Department said: "China has shed any pretense that the people of Hong Kong enjoy the high degree of autonomy, democratic institutions, and civil liberties guaranteed to them by the Sino-British Joint Declaration and the Basic Law".

A Hong Kong government spokesman said: "These remarks misrepresented the constitutional relationship between the HKSAR and the Central Authorities, smeared the implementation of 'One Country, Two Systems' in Hong Kong and interfered in the internal affairs of the HKSAR."

The spokesman went on to say that Hong Kong is an inalienable part of the People's Republic of China, and is a local administrative region which enjoyed a high degree of autonomy and came directly under the Central People's Government.

The spokesman added that the National People's Congress is the highest organ of state power and by virtue of the nation's constitution, notably Articles 31 and 62, has the authority to establish a special administrative region and to promulgate by law the systems to be practised in the special administrative region.

In conclusion, the spokesman added: "The HKSAR Government hopes that the US Government would adopt a pragmatic attitude, and would, bearing in mind US' own interests in Hong Kong, refrain from interfering with the internal affairs of our nation and Hong Kong, and maintain her economic and trade policy towards Hong Kong."

On Wednesday, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo notified Congress that the Trump administration no longer regards Hong Kong as autonomous from mainland China.

The notification to lawmakers sets the stage for the US to withdraw preferential trade and financial status that Hong Kong has enjoyed since its handover in 1997.

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