US State Department praises HK autonomy

The US State Department has given a highly positive assessment of the political situation in Hong Kong four years after China regained sovereignty over the territory.

In a report to Congress, the state department described Hong Kong as one of the freest cities in Asia.

The report added that with some notable exceptions the Chinese government had generally kept its commitment to respect the territory's high degree of autonomy.

It noted the Falun Gong spiritual movement, outlawed in the mainland, remained legal in Hong Kong.

The report criticised the authorities' strong rhetoric towards the group and expressed concerns about self-censorship in the media.

Hong Kong has been a special administrative region of China since British rule ended in1997.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service