The Office of the Commissioner of the Chinese Foreign Ministry in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) on Tuesday urged the New York Times to stop backing leading anti-China troublemakers and radical forces calling for so-called "Hong Kong independence."

The New York Times has published false reports and absurd remarks on the Hong Kong situation in recent months, whitewashing Jimmy Lai, a leading anti-China activist who attempts to mess up Hong Kong, endorsing Joshua Wong and Alex Chow, radical activists calling for so-called "Hong Kong independence," and venomously attacking the central government, the HKSAR government and the Hong Kong police, said the spokesperson for the commissioner's office.

Noting that the New York Times keeps confounding right with wrong in covering the Hong Kong situation, the spokesperson said that it has turned a deaf ear to the strong and just calls of the Chinese people, including 7.5 million Hong Kong residents, for stopping violence, ending the chaos and restoring order.

"It (the New York Times) has presented a platform for anti-China forces and radical activists calling for 'Hong Kong independence' to spread rumor and smear the central and SAR governments, and spared no effort to package them as representatives of the majority," the spokesperson said, raising questions about the motives behind the newspaper.

The spokesperson pointed out that the newspaper "has openly glorified the violent radicals as fighters for democracy and freedoms" while slandering patriotic Chinese as "nationalists."

"It (the New York Times) has watered down the astonishing crime of the rioters who have vandalized public facilities and assaulted the police and innocent residents, while groundlessly accusing the police who have exerted utmost restraint under heavy pressure for excessive force," the spokesperson said.

The spokesperson pointed out that Hong Kong is part of China, and its future can only be decided by the Chinese people, including "our 7.5 million Hong Kong compatriots."

"We are rock-firm in upholding national sovereignty, security and development interests, and in maintaining prosperity and stability of Hong Kong," said the spokesperson, urging the newspaper to "immediately correct its wrongdoing and cover Hong Kong in a responsible, objective and impartial manner."

"We also urge it to grasp the trend of the times and the true mainstream public opinion in Hong Kong, and stop backing leading anti-China troublemakers and radical forces calling for so-called 'Hong Kong independence'," the spokesperson said.