The Hong Kong SAR Government on 23 September rejected accusations made in a European Union report of “continuous erosions” in political freedoms and autonomy in the territory, according to RTHK.
A government spokesman called the report’s content about Hong Kong unfounded, inaccurate and biased. The report was issued by the European Commission and the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy.
The administration defended the Hong Kong National Security Law, the Safeguarding National Security Ordinance and related legislation, saying the laws had restored social order and provided a foundation for economic and livelihood development.
It said the laws protect residents’ rights to freedom of speech, the press, publication, association and assembly, and that people who obey the law would not inadvertently breach it. The spokesman also said Hong Kong’s media environment had remained vibrant since national-security legislation was enacted, accusing people with ulterior motives of fabricating claims about press and speech freedoms.
The government urged the EU to respect facts, comply with international law and basic norms governing international relations, and stop what it called long-arm jurisdiction and interference in Hong Kong affairs.