Hong Kong residents and tourists visit the Golden Bauhinia Square on March 23, 2024. Photo: VCG

The Chinese Foreign Ministry, the Chinese Embassy in the UK and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government have firmly refuted the UK's recent so-called six-monthly report on Hong Kong, which disregarded the facts and grossly interfered in Hong Kong affairs and China's internal affairs.

On Monday, the UK government published its 54th six-monthly report on Hong Kong, continuing to use the Sino-British Joint Declaration as an excuse to defame One Country, Two Systems, the Hong Kong national security law, and the Safeguarding National Security Ordinance.

In response to the so-called six-monthly report, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said at Tuesday's regular press briefing that it violates the principles of international law and the basic norms of international relations. China is strongly dissatisfied with and firmly opposes the report, Lin said.

Hong Kong affairs are purely China's internal affairs. We urge the UK to respect the basic fact that Hong Kong returned to its motherland nearly 27 years ago, and the UK should stop interfering in China's internal affairs, and stop sheltering and condoning criminals and anti-Hong Kong destabilizers who undermine China's national security, Lin said.

On Monday, a spokesperson from the Chinese Embassy in the UK said the Sino-British Joint Declaration does not give the UK any right to intervene in Hong Kong affairs. The Chinese government remains firmly resolved to safeguarding China's sovereignty, security and development interests, in implementing One Country, Two Systems, and in opposing any external interference in Hong Kong's affairs.

Any negative voices trying to undermine HKSAR and spread pessimism will not shake the firm steps of One Country, Two Systems from moving steadily forward. The train of "Hong Kong" in the new era will advance unhindered, said a spokesperson from the Commissioner's Office of China's Foreign Ministry in the HKSAR on Monday.

The UK is playing the same old trick again, but it should be well aware that it no longer has the right or strength to intervene in Hong Kong affairs, Gao Jian, director of the Center for British Studies at Shanghai International Studies University, told the Global Times on Tuesday. 

Stirring up the Hong Kong-related issue is one of the few ways the UK can create relevant public opinion and trouble for China in the overall development of the bilateral relationship. Moreover, stirring up the issue also caters to or satisfies a kind of pitiful vanity within the British domestic political circle, Gao said. "Overall, the UK's comprehensive ability to intervene in the Asia-Pacific region is gradually declining," said Gao.

In terms of the current overall national development trend and comprehensive national strength of the UK, "the weakening of its international status is an inevitable trend in the future." Furthermore, in terms of specific measures, the UK's policy toward HKSAR does not have real strong support, Gao said.

The Global Times has found that cognitive warfare tricks are used by external forces and anti-China elements to disrupt Hong Kong. These tactics involve attacking the management of the central government and the HKSAR government under the guise of "human rights, religious freedom violation" and badmouthing Hong Kong's economy.

According to our research, the basic tricks of UK's cognitive warfare include utilizing the international media outlets controlled by Western countries, which still have international media dominance, to hype up the National Security Law and related laws in the HKSAR, Gao noted. "The UK is trying to continue to salvage their remaining social influence in HKSAR," said Gao.

The HKSAR government also strongly condemned and rejected the wanton slander and political attacks which make up the UK's so-called six-monthly report. The UK's attempt to undermine the stability and prosperity of HKSAR is doomed to fail, the HKSAR government spokesman noted.