The SAR government on Thursday strongly condemned the US House Foreign Affairs Committee for approving legislation that officials here say smears and attacks the work of the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Offices (ETOs) in the US.

In a statement, the government said the so-called Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office Certification Act completely ignores the status of the SAR under "one country, two systems", and maliciously slanders the legitimate purpose of implementing a national security law to protect human rights and the rule of law.

This had grossly interfered with Hong Kong affairs, the administration added.

The government said that the bill was designed to attack the Hong Kong ETOs in the US by using misleading tactics to remove privileges, exemptions, and immunities for the ETOs, and even close them

The government said the offices, in New York, Washington and San Francisco, were set up to promote mutually beneficial economic and trade relations, and cultural exchanges between the two locations.

"The HKSAR Government strongly condemned such attempts to damage the trade relations owing to individual political interests, and sternly urged the US not to violate again the basic norms governing international relations and to stop political smears and attacks on the HKSAR and interfering in Hong Kong matters," the government said.

It stressed that the three ETOs will continue to promote Hong Kong's unique advantages, tell good stories of the SAR, and when necessary, refute erroneous reports and clarify misconceptions, so as to foster economic and trade relations and cooperation on different fronts between Hong Kong and the US.

The government added that the US enjoys significant economic benefit in the territory, with a trade surplus of almost US$300 billion in the past ten years, and more than 1,200 US companies have set up businesses in Hong Kong.

The SAR emphasised that undermining the territory through the act would ultimately harm the interests of the US and its companies.

The US legislation still has to go to a full vote of the House, as well as the Senate.