Govt accuses UK of slander over its latest HK report
The government on Friday expressed opposition to allegations the United Kingdom made about the SAR administration in its latest six-monthly report on the city.  The report, covering the first half of 2022, alleged that: “Freedoms are being systematically eroded by Beijing on multiple fronts, tightening the restrictions on the lives of ordinary Hongkongers.” It said the national security law has had a “chilling effect” on all aspects of society, and voting rights were being curtailed, among other things.  In response, the Hong Kong government said in a statement that the descriptions were “slandering remarks and ill-intentioned political attacks”.  “The HKSAR Government urges again the United Kingdom to respect the basic norms governing international relations and stop interfering in the affairs of the HKSAR,” it said.  The statement called the UK’s criticism of the revamped electoral system misleading, noting that it “puts in place legal safeguards to ensure full implementation of ‘patriots administering Hong Kong’”.     “No one in any country or region in the world will ever allow political power to fall into the hands of forces or individuals who do not love, or even sell out or betray, their own country,” it added.  The statement also pointed out that it's international practice for states to enact laws to safeguard national security.  It reiterated that all law enforcement actions are based on evidence, and that the enactment of the national security law has swiftly and effectively restored stability and security in the SAR following the social unrest in 2019 and early 2020.  The Foreign Ministry’s office in Hong Kong also urged the British government to stop issuing its half-yearly reports on Hong Kong.  It said the reports “grossly interfered with Hong Kong affairs and China’s internal affairs, and seriously trampled on international law”.