Beijing hits out at US after report on human rights situation in Hong Kong

The State Department report, which assesses about 200 countries and territories based on standards enshrined in international human-rights agreements, contained an extensive catalogue of China’s alleged violations, as it has for several decades.

The commissioner’s office said it firmly opposed the report, criticising the United States for pointing fingers at other countries’ human rights situation while disregarding significant issues such as racial discrimination, widespread gun violence, police brutality and wealth disparity within its own borders.

The office said the Chinese government attached great importance to safeguarding human rights and integrating their protection into legislation.

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“We urge the United States to stop lying, respect facts … and immediately stop interfering in Hong Kong affairs and China’s internal affairs,” the office said.

The city’s government also hit back on Tuesday, saying the report’s claims were unfounded and biased.

A Hong Kong government spokesman said it strongly opposed the US’ repeated tactics in making slanderous remarks against Hong Kong, where “one country, two systems” was successfully implemented.

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“The US is once again overriding the rule of law with politics and politicising human rights issues,” the spokesman said. “Such attempt to undermine the prosperity and stability of Hong Kong and interfere in Hong Kong’s law-based governance is doomed to fail.”

Since Hong Kong’s return to the motherland, human rights in the city had been firmly protected by both the Chinese Constitution and the Basic Law, he said.