Hong Kong rejects EU report’s claims on freedoms as ‘unfounded and biased’

The Hong Kong government has rejected an annual European Union report alleging that the administration is undermining the city’s fundamental freedoms, calling its claims “unfounded and biased”.

The more than 4,500-word statement, issued early on Wednesday morning, followed the publication on Tuesday of the EU’s 2025 annual report on Hong Kong. The report was jointly issued by the European Commission and the EU’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Kaja Kallas.

It highlighted national security trials involving pro-democracy activists, including media tycoon Jimmy Lai Chee-ying and Joshua Wong Chi-fung, as well as the disbandment of the Democratic Party ahead of the second “patriot-only” Legislative Council election, among other issues.

“The HKSAR Government strongly urges the EU to respect facts, abide by international law and basic norms governing international relations, and immediately stop its long-arm jurisdiction and interference in Hong Kong matters, which are purely China’s internal affairs,” the government spokesman said in the statement.