The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government has denounced the UK’s “Six-monthly report on Hong Kong: January to June 2025”, stating that it contains slanders and smears about various aspects of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.

In a statement, the Hong Kong SAR Government said it condemned and rejected the UK’s misleading and irresponsible remarks, which it labelled “despicable political manoeuvres” intended to interfere in Hong Kong’s law-based governance.

It added that the Sino-British Joint Declaration is about China’s resumption of sovereignty over Hong Kong, and that the UK has no sovereignty, jurisdiction or right of supervision over Hong Kong following the city’s return to the motherland.

It urged the UK to discern facts from fallacies, respect international law and the basic norms governing international relations, and stop interfering in Hong Kong matters, stressing that these are purely China’s internal affairs.

The Hong Kong SAR Government said the report contained “absurd and false contents” with regard to the laws safeguarding national security in the Hong Kong SAR. It outlined that the UK Government had vilified Hong Kong’s law enforcement agencies, and its prosecutorial and judicial authorities, in claiming that fulfilment of their duties constituted an act of “undermining” rights and freedoms.

It also emphasised that Hong Kong law enforcement agencies’ actions are evidence-based and are taken in strict accordance with the law in respect of acts committed by people or entities, having nothing to do with their political views, background or occupation. It added that any suggestion that certain individuals or organisations should be immune from legal consequences for their illegal acts runs totally contrary to the spirit of the rule of law.

Highlighting that absconders hiding outside Hong Kong are wanted because they continue to blatantly engage in activities endangering national security and to collude with external forces in order to cover their evil deeds, the statement underscored that it is necessary for Police to take all lawful measures to combat acts of abscondment. It added that such actions are fully justified, necessary and legitimate, and that countries including the UK would impose the same measures on wanted criminals.

Moreover, it said that the UK had demonstrated hypocrisy and that its attack against the Hong Kong SAR’s actions in safeguarding national security dutifully, faithfully and in accordance with the law, had betrayed double standards.

In response to the report’s highlighting of the cases against Lai Chee-ying, and other national security cases, the Hong Kong SAR Government iterated that as legal proceedings in those cases are still ongoing, it is inappropriate to comment on case details or to attempt to interfere with the court’s independent exercise of judicial power, as this might pervert the course of justice.

The statement urged the UK to stop distorting the truth and discrediting the city’s judicial system and trials, in an attempt to glorify criminal behaviour and exert pressure on the Hong Kong SAR’s courts.

It also stressed that the exercise of independent judicial power is not undermined by mechanisms to safeguard national security in the Hong Kong SAR, and that the city’s judicial system continues to be protected by the Basic Law.

Affirming that, when adjudicating national security cases, judges retain independence and impartiality in performing their judicial duties, free from any interference, it added that the implementation of the Hong Kong National Security Law (HKNSL) over the past five years has demonstrated that the courts have handled all the HKSNL cases strictly in accordance with the above-mentioned principles.