The Commissioner’s Office of the Chinese Foreign Ministry in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region has issued a strong rebuke of the recent comments made by the US consul general in Hong Kong, Gregory May, telling the American official to abide by his duties and stop smearing Hong Kong.

In a recent interview, May had made irresponsible remarks regarding Hong Kong affairs, stating that the city’s rights and freedoms have been “eroded”, and voicing concerns over the so-called “chilling effect”.

READ MORE: HKSAR govt decries US politicians’ slanders on national security law

The spokesperson for the office expressed strong dissatisfaction and severe condemnation of May’s remarks, noting that under the National Security Law for Hong Kong and the SAR’s National Security Ordinance, Hong Kong society has returned to stability with the rights of residents under the law being effectively protected.

READ MORE: US extension of HKSAR 'emergency status' strongly condemned

The city has undergone a profound transformation, entering a new era of prosperity from stability, the spokesperson said. He attributed the positive change to the implementation of national security laws, as they prevent disruptors from continuing to undermine Hong Kong’s stability as they did during the 2019 social unrest.

READ MORE: Stirring up trouble in HK doomed to fail, says commissioner's office

Freedom has never been boundless, and will always have inherent limits, the spokesperson added.

The office called for May, as the US government’s representative in the Hong Kong SAR, to abide by the basic professional ethics and code of conduct of consular officials and stop interfering in China’s internal affairs and badmouthing the SAR.