HONG KONG, Oct. 9 (Xinhua) -- The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government on Friday strongly denounced and refuted groundless and slanderous remarks about Hong Kong in the so-called "2026 Trafficking in Persons Report" of the United States Department of State.
Trafficking in persons has never been a prevalent problem in Hong Kong, and there has never been any sign that Hong Kong is being actively used by criminal syndicates as a destination or transit point for trafficking in persons, said a spokesperson for the HKSAR government.
The so-called report is a politically-motivated, despicable smear campaign designed to mislead the international community, said the spokesperson.
The HKSAR government has all along been proactive in the fight against trafficking in persons, adopting a comprehensive multi-pronged strategy and devoting significant resources to combating trafficking in persons and enhancing the protection for foreign domestic helpers in Hong Kong, the spokesperson noted.
The so-called report's wanton attacks on Hong Kong's victim screening efforts are deeply hypocritical and reflect double-standard practices, said the spokesperson.
A spokesperson for HKSAR's Legislative Council echoed the HKSAR government's statement Friday, urging the United States to respect facts, stop issuing politically biased and inaccurate reports, abide by international law and basic norms of international relations, and immediately stop interfering in Hong Kong affairs, which are purely China's internal affairs. ■
