The government said on Wednesday it strongly disapproves of and firmly rejects a US congressional report that criticised the SAR and central governments and the city's national security law.

It said the US-China Economic and Security Review Commission (USCC) had used politics to prevail over law-based administration.

"The HKSAR Government strongly disapproves of and firmly rejects USCC's wanton manoeuvre with politics prevailing over law-based administration and interference in the affairs of the HKSAR in the so-called report,” the government statement wrote.

The US report said changes in the SAR raised questions about Hong Kong’s ability to maintain its position as the financial connector between mainland China and the world.

In response, the SAR government said the accusations are groundless attacks, slanders and smears against various aspects of Hong Kong.

“The HKSAR Government strongly urges again individual United States politicians to discern facts from fallacies, respect the international law and basic norms governing international relations, and immediately stop interfering in Hong Kong matters, which are purely China's internal affairs," the government said.

It said since the implementation of a national security law in 2020, the US had continued to turn a blind eye to the large-scale and incessant rioting which occurred in 2019 that devastated Hong Kong's society, livelihoods and the economy.

It said the US also deliberately neglected the fact that the implementation of the law enabled livelihoods and economic activities to return to normal.

The government said Hong Kong's rise in world competitiveness rankings to be among the world's top economies was testament to the fact that high-level security protection underpins high-quality development.

It said the US enjoyed economic benefits in Hong Kong, with a trade surplus of some US$270 billion with the SAR over the past 10 years, and there were more than 1,200 US companies operating businesses in Hong Kong.

The government said all these demonstrated the close and long-standing economic ties between the two places, so a stable and prosperous Hong Kong was of mutual benefit to the US.