The Secretary for Security, Chris Tang, on Saturday accused US Secretary of State Antony Blinken of deliberately misleading the public and smearing the Safeguarding National Security Ordinance.

Blinken had said on social media that the new legislation threatened rights and freedoms in Hong Kong.

Tang accused Blinken of "despicable political manoeuvres", saying he made misleading and false statements.

"The Ordinance clearly specifies that the rights and freedoms enshrined in the Basic Law, as well as the provisions of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights as applied to Hong Kong, are to be protected in accordance with the law," he wrote.

"Blinken neglected the relevant provision and lashed out wantonly, fully exposing his malicious intentions."