Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government held a seminar on the white paper titled “Hong Kong: Safeguarding China’s National Security Under the Framework of One Country, Two Systems” at the Central Government Offices this morning (February 14). The Chief Executive and the Chairman of the Committee for Safeguarding National Security of the HKSAR, Mr John Lee; Deputy Director of the Hong Kong and Macao Work Office of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, Deputy Director of Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council, Director of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and National Security Adviser to the Committee for Safeguarding National Security of the HKSAR, Mr Zhou Ji; and Head of the Office for Safeguarding National Security of the Central People’s Government in the HKSAR, Mr Dong Jingwei, delivered speeches at the seminar. The HKSAR Government also invited former Director-General of the First Bureau of the Hong Kong and Macao Work Office of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, Vice President of the Chinese Association of Hong Kong and Macao Studies and Professor of the School of Law of Tsinghua University, Professor Wang Zhenmin; and former Vice-chairperson of the HKSAR Basic Law Committee of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress, Dr Maria Tam, to deliver keynote speeches to provide an in-depth explanation of the essence and key viewpoints of the white paper. Attendees included Principal Officials of the HKSAR Government, members of the Executive Council, the Legislative Council and the Judiciary, as well as personnel of various offices of the Central People’s Government (CPG) in Hong Kong.
Addressing the seminar, Mr Lee said that the white paper offers three important points of insight and understanding. First, the white paper offers guiding significance as an authoritative pronouncement to the HKSAR. It stated outright in its preface that the highest principle of fully, faithfully and resolutely implementing the policy of “one country, two systems” is to safeguard national sovereignty, security and development interests. It outlined five areas, including the unrelenting fight for safeguarding national security in Hong Kong, the Central Government’s fundamental responsibility for national security matters concerning Hong Kong, the HKSAR’s achievements in fulfilling its constitutional responsibility for safeguarding national security, Hong Kong’s transformation from disorder to stability and prosperity, and creating high-standard security for the high-quality development of the “one country, two systems” policy. The white paper has helped all to understand more clearly that the HKSAR has the constitutional responsibility of effectively safeguarding national security, and that the HKSAR Government and all sectors of the community should proactively implement the requirement.