The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government today said it strongly condemned the US House Foreign Affairs Committee for passing its so-called Hong Kong Economic & Trade Office Certification Act and its complete disregard of the status of the Hong Kong SAR under “one country, two systems”.

The Hong Kong SAR Government added that US Congress had committed a malicious slander against the just and legitimate implementation of Hong Kong’s National Security Law, as well as Hong Kong’s protection of human rights and the rule of law, and condemned its gross interference in the affairs of Hong Kong.

It asserted that US law aims to achieve political objectives by smearing, attacking and even threatening the closure of the Hong Kong Economic & Trade Offices (ETOs) in the US, which exist to promote mutually beneficial economic and trade relations and cultural exchanges between Hong Kong and the US.

The Hong Kong SAR Government said it strongly condemned such attempts to damage trade relations on account of individual political interests. It urged the US not to violate the basic norms governing international relations and to stop political smears and attacks on the Hong Kong SAR.

It stressed that it maintains economic and trade relations with places around the world in accordance with the “one country, two systems” principle and has, pursuant to the Basic Law and the legislation of host countries, set up 14 overseas ETOs as official representatives of the Hong Kong SAR, including three in the US.

In their respective jurisdictions, the ETOs in Washington DC, New York and San Francisco maintain close links with interlocutors in government, business, think tanks and various sectors to enrich ties between Hong Kong and the US in different areas such as trade, investment, arts and culture.

The smooth operation of the three ETOs in the US contributes to strengthening co-operation between Hong Kong and the US in different areas, and is mutually beneficial to both places.

The Hong Kong SAR Government stressed that the US enjoys significant economic benefit from its ties with Hong Kong. The US enjoyed a trade surplus of US$284.9 billion with Hong Kong over the past 10 years, its largest with any trading partner, and more than 1,200 US companies operate in Hong Kong. If the US insists on undermining the mutually beneficial relations between Hong Kong and the US, it will ultimately harm the interests of the US and its companies.

The three ETOs of the Hong Kong SAR in the US will continue, the Hong Kong SAR Government said, to promote Hong Kong’s unique advantages, tell good stories about Hong Kong and, where necessary, refute erroneous reports and clarify misconceptions without fear or favour, so as to foster economic and trade relations and co-operation on different fronts between Hong Kong and the US.