Hong Kong authorities have slammed the UK for making “untruthful remarks, slanders and smears” about the city’s affairs in its latest six-monthly report that described the “expanding scope and application” of national security laws in the financial hub.

A cityview of Hong Kong. Photo: Kyle Lam/HKFP.

The Hong Kong government said on Friday that it “strongly condemns and firmly rejects” the UK’s report on the city, a former British colony that was handed back to Chinese rule in 1997.

“The UK has no sovereignty, jurisdiction or right of supervision over Hong Kong after its return to the motherland,” a government spokesperson said in the statement.

“The [Hong Kong] Government strongly urges the UK again to discern facts from fallacies, respect the international law and basic norms governing international relations, and immediately stop its long-arm jurisdiction and interference in Hong Kong matters, which are purely China’s internal affairs,” the spokesperson added.

Latest 6-monthly report

The UK published its latest six-monthly report on Hong Kong on Thursday, the 59th edition since 1997 and the first by Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband since he took up the position in July.

In the report, which covers major developments in Hong Kong during the first half of this year, Miliband said “evidence… demonstrates the expanding scope and application of national security legislation” in the city and its “increasing impact on freedom of expression, assembly, association and the press.”

A British flag. Photo: Ryan Ho Kilpatrick/HKFP.

“Since 2020, the Beijing-imposed National Security Law has restricted rights and freedoms, stifled debate and further diminished the openness that underpinned Hong Kong’s success,” Miliband said.

Miliband also said he is “deeply concerned and disturbed” by the imprisonment of media tycoon Jimmy Lai, who in February was sentenced to 20 years in jail for foreign collusion and sedition – the heaviest penalty meted out under the Beijing-imposed national security law to date.

“We continue to call for [Lai’s] immediate release and will raise his case consistently as part of our frank and constructive engagement with the Chinese and Hong Kong authorities,” Miliband said, adding that the recent trials of Tiananmen vigil activists and pro-democracy activist Joshua Wong reinforced concerns about the broad application of the security law.

In September, a Hong Kong court sentenced three Tiananmen vigil organisers to up to seven years and three months in prison for inciting subversion.

Meanwhile, Wong, who is currently serving a prison sentence for a subversion conviction, has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to collude with foreign forces and is awaiting sentencing. He faces up to life imprisonment for the charge.

Beijing hits back

Beijing’s embassy in London on Thursday condemned the UK for “blatantly interfering with China’s internal affairs” through the six-monthly reports on Hong Kong.

“British colonial rule in Hong Kong is long gone. The UK has no sovereignty over Hong Kong, nor does it have any right of governance or supervision over Hong Kong. It is in no position and has no right to meddle in Hong Kong affairs,” an embassy spokesperson said.

The embassy added that the Hong Kong judiciary’s handling of the cases of Lai and Tiananmen vigil activists should not be interfered with, and urged the British authorities to stop issuing the six-monthly report.

Beijing inserted national security legislation directly into Hong Kong’s mini-constitution in June 2020 following a year of pro-democracy protests and unrest. It criminalised subversion, secession, collusion with foreign forces and terrorist acts – broadly defined to include disruption to transport and other infrastructure. The move gave police sweeping new powers and led to hundreds of arrests amid new legal precedents, while dozens of civil society groups disappeared. The authorities say it restored stability and peace to the city, rejecting criticism from trade partners, the UN and NGOs.