The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government said today it strongly condemns untruthful remarks, slanders and smears contained in the United Kingdom’s “six-monthly report on Hong Kong: July to December 2025”.

In a press statement, the Hong Kong SAR Government said it rejects the UK’s attempt to interfere in the city’s governance by making misleading remarks about Hong Kong matters.

Emphasising that the core essence of the Sino-British Joint Declaration concerns China’s resumption of sovereignty over Hong Kong, and that the declaration does not authorise the UK to interfere in Hong Kong’s affairs following its return to China, the Hong Kong SAR Government urged the UK to respect international law and basic norms governing international relations, and to stop intervening in Hong Kong matters, which it said are purely China’s internal affairs.

The Hong Kong SAR Government said it steadfastly safeguards the rights and freedoms enjoyed by Hong Kong people, as protected under the law, and that the city’s media landscape has remained vibrant since the implementation of the National Security Law and the Safeguarding National Security Ordinance.

It added that it rejects false content in the UK’s report in relation to Hong Kong’s laws and efforts to safeguard the SAR’s national security. In this regard, it highlighted that the UK, pursuant to its national security and counter-terrorism laws, arrested over 3,000 people in 2025, but nevertheless smeared the Hong Kong National Security Law and the city’s efforts to enforce it as “undermining rights and freedoms”.

The statement said such double standards and hypocritical behaviour are ugly and despicable.

It further stated that the implementation of the National Security Law has brought freedom, stability, a resumption of economic activity and improvements to the business environment in Hong Kong, with the city being recognised as the world’s freest economy in the world.

Stressing that Hong Kong is a society underpinned by the rule of law, the Hong Kong SAR Government said any suggestion that certain individuals or organisations should be immune from the consequences of acting illegally runs contrary to the spirit of the rule of law.

As to the UK report’s mention of the verdict in the Lai Chee-ying case, the Hong Kong SAR Government emphasised that he and other defendants were found guilty only after a fair trial, and that to suggest otherwise is a malicious smear. It said the court made it clear that Lai Chee-ying was not on trial for his political views of beliefs, and that there was absolutely no question of “political prosecution”.

Regarding the UK report’s claim that the Hong Kong SAR Government exerted “political pressure” on the judiciary as the court deferred to judgements made by the executive branch regarding national security matters, the Government said differing to such judgements is established practice in many locations, including the UK.