The Hong Kong government and legislature have blasted The Washington Post over “groundless allegations” against the city’s new national security amendments.

According to a statement issued late Saturday night, the government ​”strongly condemns the wanton slander and groundless allegations made by The Washington Post in its article entitled ‘Hong Kong’s nightmare gets darker’, criticising the Safeguarding National Security (Procedural Matters) Regulation (Procedural Matters Regulation).”

“The article clearly exposes The Washington Post’s irrational anti-China stance and double standards, falling well short of what is expected of professional journalism,” the government also said.

The statement was in response to an editorial published on Friday, in which the newspaper criticised Hong Kong’s enactment of the new subsidiary legislation.

The new legislation, which allows the chief executive to certify any criminal case as a national security offence, came into effect on Tuesday, one day after the government proposed the bill in the Legislative Council (LegCo).

In the editorial, the paper said, “These changes will further chill foreign investment. But the biggest victims are Hong Kongers themselves.”

The government said that the news outlet’s “ignorance of facts and betrayal of the basic tenets of responsible journalism are shocking, irresponsible, and totally unacceptable behaviour for any media organisation.”

Echoing remarks made by Chief Executive John Lee and other top officials, the statement said the new legislation aims only to clarify a “classification mechanism” under the locally enacted Safeguarding National Security Ordinance (SNSO) and the Beijing-imposed national security law.

“It does not create any new offence or alter the penalties of any offence. It certainly does not turn any lawful conduct into an offence. It is not applicable to legal proceedings that are concluded,” the government said.

In a separate statement on Sunday, LegCo rallied behind the government’s condemnation of The Washington Post for publishing the “untruthful” editorial and its “anti-China motives.”

The legislature raised nearly 60 comments and scrutinised every single provision in detail and was satisfied that the regulation complies with all requirements, it said.

“LegCo will, as always, steadfastly support the full and accurate implementation of the Hong Kong National Security Law, the Ordinance, and other relevant laws of the HKSAR for safeguarding national security,” it said.