BEIJING -- China on Thursday urged the United Kingdom to respect China's sovereignty and stop interfering in Hong Kong's affairs.

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang made the remarks after the UK government released its latest six-monthly report on Hong Kong.

"We urge the UK to face the reality that Hong Kong has returned to China for 22 years, respect China's sovereignty, stop releasing relevant reports, and stop interfering in Hong Kong's affairs," Geng said at a press briefing.

It is undeniable that the "one country, two systems" practice has achieved widely-acknowledged success, he said.

"Hong Kong's affairs have been entirely China's internal affairs since July 1, 1997. The British side has no right to make irresponsible remarks or interfere with any excuses," Geng said.