The Hong Kong government on Tuesday strongly disapproved and opposed a letter from US politicians to the country’s treasury secretary, saying that it damages the SAR’s reputation as an international financial centre. An SAR government spokesman stressed that the allegations had no factual basis and the letter was a “crude and reprehensible attempt to spread lies and misinformation about Hong Kong for personal political gain”. He said the government “has been enforcing the sanctions imposed by the United Nations Security Council fully and vigorously to fulfil our international obligations”. The spokesman added that maintaining the integrity and robustness of the city's financial systems is a top priority for the SAR government. "Hong Kong has been recognised by the Financial Action Task Force, the international standard-setter on anti-money laundering and counter-financing of terrorism, to be overall compliant with the relevant international standards, with a robust legal framework and effective system in this area, especially in the identification and understanding of risks, law enforcement, asset recovery and international co-operation," he said. The letter by US lawmakers alleged Hong Kong is playing an "increasing role as a financial hub for money laundering, sanctions evasion, and other illicit financial activities".
