The Office of the Commissioner of the Chinese Foreign Ministry in Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) on Friday rejected US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's recent remarks over Hong Kong's amendments of fugitive offenders ordinance, saying the remarks were "irresponsible," and urged the United States to stop interfering in Hong Kong's internal affairs.

"We express strong discontent and firm opposition over the US official's irresponsible remarks, and call on the United States to abide by the international law and the basic norms governing international relations, to stop disturbing the legitimate and reasonable legislative process of the SAR, and to stop interfering in Hong Kong's affairs as well as China's domestic affairs," a spokesperson of the commissioner's office said in a statement.

The statement was in response to a recent meeting between Pompeo and Hong Kong opposition activist Lee Chu-ming, who visited the United States and asked for US stress on the Hong Kong SAR government to revoke the amendments.

The Hong Kong SAR government has recently proposed to amend Fugitive Offenders Ordinance and Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters Ordinance to enable Hong Kong to conduct case-based cooperation with jurisdictions that have no effective long-term arrangement with Hong Kong on juridical assistance in criminal matters.

It has reiterated that the amendments were meant to deal with a 2018 murder case that happened in Taiwan and involved a Hong Kong suspect who has returned to Hong Kong, and to fill a loophole in the Hong Kong SAR's existing legal framework concerning mutual legal assistance in criminal matters.

The spokesperson pointed out that the Hong Kong SAR government's proposal for amendments has both legal basis and practical urgency, and helps highlight the spirit of rule of law, safeguard fairness and justice and perfect the SAR's rule of law.

The spokesperson also sternly objected certain people's act of disregarding Hong Kong and national interests and colluding with external forces to intervene in Hong Kong affairs.