The Chinese Foreign Ministry said on Monday that the central government will continue to support the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government's work on amendments to an extradition bill.

Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang made the remarks at a daily news press conference after a peaceful demonstration on the bill turned violent at midnight in the region. 

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"We sternly oppose any interference in its legislative process by any foreign forces," Geng added. 

The Office of the Commissioner of the Chinese Foreign Ministry in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) urged the United States to stop disseminating false remarks over the HKSAR government's proposal to amend the Fugitive Offenders Ordinance and Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters Ordinance.

"We deplore and firmly oppose the U.S. disregard of international law and the basic norms governing international relations and its interference in Hong Kong affairs, which are China's domestic affairs," a spokesperson of the commissioner's office said in response to recent remarks by a spokesperson of the U.S. State Department over the amendments.

Since Hong Kong's return to the motherland, the principle of "one country, two systems" has been strictly implemented, the level of human rights protection and rule of law in Hong Kong has been remarkably upgraded, and Hong Kong's status as an international financial, trade and shipping center has been continuously consolidated, the spokesperson said, stressing that these facts cannot be discredited or smeared by any external party.

The HKSAR government has repeatedly emphasized that the amendments of the two ordinances are aimed to plug legal loopholes and uphold social justice and are in accordance with international law and common practice, the spokesperson said.

"We urge the United States to stop disseminating irresponsible and false remarks, stop intervening in HKSAR's normal legislative process, and stop interfering in Hong Kong affairs and other domestic affairs of China," the spokesperson said.

(With input from Xinhua)