“The US insistence on scaremongering, in the belief that repeating prejudice-driven, self-created misrepresentation numerous times will turn it into a truth, simply reflects its lack of integrity as well as its ill intent,” the government said.

It weighed in after Liu warned May not to endanger China’s national security, not to engage in political infiltration in Hong Kong and not to talk down the city’s prospects for development.

But the US consulate was unmoved and said on Thursday it would “not hesitate to express publicly and privately the United States’ deep concern over the erosion of Hong Kong’s autonomy”.

Political pundits said a thaw in Hong Kong’s frosty relations with American diplomats in the city would depend on the temperature of dealings between mainland China and the US.

Chong Ja Ian, an associate professor of political science at the National University of Singapore, highlighted recent clashes between the world’s two biggest economies and had also affected Hong Kong.

He said the two rivals had experienced a “prolonged period of friction” and highlighted the shooting down of a high-altitude balloon said by the US to be a Chinese spying platform earlier this month.

Beijing, however, insisted it was a weather balloon that had gone off course.

“It may be the balloon saga, it may be other issues. I would expect such back and forth to continue,” Chong predicted.

Political commentator Lau Siu-kai, a consultant at the semi-official Chinese Association of Hong Kong and Macau Studies, listed more areas where Beijing and Washington had butted heads.

These included controversy over Taiwan, sanctions on technology companies and America’s attempt to create more allies in the region.

Beijing’s top diplomat in Hong Kong lays down ‘3 red lines’ for US’ local envoy

Lau said that if Sino-US relations did not improve and unless there was an end to a “tit-for-tat approach” there was “no way” Hong Kong and America’s contacts would be friendly.

He said Liu’s warning to May sounded a serious note because the last thing Beijing wanted was for Hong Kong to become a place the US could leverage against it while relations were tense on other fronts.

Lau said whether Beijing would take further action against the US consulate in Hong Kong would depend on further developments on the world stage.

The US consul general, who attended a seminar by Washington-based think tank the Centre for Strategic and International Studies virtually last month, told delegates that Hong Kong’s legal system was threatened by mainland China.

May, who took up the job last year, said Beijing’s recent interpretation of the national security law “could further undermine the independence of Hong Kong’s judiciary system”.

The heightened tensions have stoked fears that what appeared to be an olive branch offered by Beijing late last year after it imposed restrictions on US diplomats would be withdrawn.

Beijing said last November that May was no longer required to obtain approval before he met Hong Kong officials, politicians or academics, although five day’s notice of such meetings was required.

Hong Kong hits back at US over bill aimed at city’s trade offices in America

Senior Counsel Ronny Tong Ka-wah, also a member of the Executive Council, the city’s key-decision making body, said he had lunch with May two or three months ago, but that he was an exception in the pro-establishment camp.

“Everyone is scared to meet the Americans as they do not want to be seen as not patriotic,” Tong told the Post.

“This situation will be unlikely to change in the near future when you see the Foreign Affairs Office has never stopped rebutting.

“I can sense the US consulate distrusts the central government a lot, and my goal is to tell them the ‘true story’ through communication. I also told the Chief Executive’s Office about our meeting beforehand.”

Tam Yiu-chung, Hong Kong’s only delegate to the National People’s Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, China’s top legislative body, said he believed that Liu wanted to remind foreign diplomats stationed in Hong Kong not to be too high-profile because of the international tensions.

“The relationship between China and the United States is not getting anywhere near better for the time being,” he said.

“If the United States has done something wrong or criticises China, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will definitely refute. This is also been the case recently. The relationship between the two countries is not very cordial.”

He added: “Some of these consuls general are relatively high-profile – probably due to their own countries’ policies – including finger-pointing over the city’s affairs, actively criticising Hong Kong and China.

“These may have drawn the attention of the commissioner and prompted him to give a reminder.”

Allan Zeman, the chairman of entertainment giant the Lan Kwai Fong Group, said he hoped the tensions would not affect business dealings between Hong Kong and the United States.

“This US consul has made some bold statements, forcing the Chinese government to respond and protect itself,” Zeman said.

“But I mean, at the end of the day, business people will continue supporting each other and we will be unlikely to be affected by politics.”

Zeman added: “If I meet May in person, I will not shy away. I will try to convince him to work together and build a stronger Hong Kong.”

Additional reporting by Jeffie Lam