A Chinese central government spokesperson on Sunday expressed strong condemnation of and sent a stern warning against a smear on the mainland's assistance with the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region's fight against COVID-19.

Such a smear by Hong Kong-based anti-China troublemakers shows a gross disregard of Hong Kong residents' safety and health and is malicious, said a spokesperson for the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council in a statement.   

The spokesman said that the central government is highly concerned about the pandemic situation in Hong Kong, and has sent a batch of supportive teams to support Hong Kong to fight COVID-19 at the request of the HKSAR government.

The central government sent testing personnel to Hong Kong to help with mass nucleic acid testing, assisted the city in building temporary quarantine and treatment centers and bore the relevant expenses.

These measures have been called "timely rain" to help curb the spread of the pandemic and they embodied the central government's care for Hong Kong and were welcomed by the public in Hong Kong, said the spokesperson.

However, the separation forces have politicized the mainland's help with Hong Kong to fight the pandemic, with the purpose of using every opportunity to attack the authority of the SAR government, damage the image of the central government, and smear the socialist system with Chinese characteristics, said the spokesperson.

We firmly support the law enforcement and judicial organs of the Hong Kong SAR to punish those who create and spread rumors and obstruct the fight against the pandemic, stressed the spokesperson.

A spokesperson from the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the Hong Kong SAR said on the same day that those who smear the mainland's assistance with Hong Kong's fight against COVID-19 are "despicable."

Fighting against the pandemic is currently the most important task for Hong Kong, said the spokesperson.

However, some forces ignore the social interests and the health of Hong Kong residents. They make vicious rumors and some even attack the social workers who promote universal testing, said the spokesperson. 

"We believe the Hong Kong residents can distinguish right from wrong and won't be misled," said the spokesperson, adding that the central government will continue to support the SAR government to fight the virus and the social and economic order in Hong Kong can be recovered soon.