The Hong Kong government has condemned the United States for extending the city’s “national emergency” status for a year, saying the action overrides the rule of law with politics.

“The US has blatantly and repeatedly breached international law and the basic norms underpinning international relations, and vainly interfered with the internal affairs of the People’s Republic of China and Hong Kong matters by extending again the so-called ‘national emergency with respect to Hong Kong’,” a government spokesman said.

“Such an act is arbitrary and unreasonable.”

The US had once again been “overriding the rule of law with politics, and wantonly smearing, by despicable political manoeuvres” the work of the administration in preventing, suppressing and imposing punishment for activities endangering national security in accordance with the law, the government added.

US President Donald Trump announced on Thursday a one-year extension of the “national emergency” status.

A presidential document said: “The situation with respect to Hong Kong, including recent actions taken by the People’s Republic of China to fundamentally undermine Hong Kong’s autonomy, continues to pose an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security, foreign policy, and economy of the United States.”