File photo of Cheung Kin-chung 

HONG KONG – The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region is working in close contact with central government bodies to put the proposed national security legislation into practice, Chief Secretary for Administration Matthew Cheung Kin-chung said on Sunday.

In a blog post, the secretary stated the SAR government will facilitate the work of the country's top legislature, the National People's Congress, which is drafting the law.

He said the Hong Kong government has also identified other areas in which preparations are being made, awaiting enactment of the proposed law. An enforcement mechanism will be constructed. Public education programs on the need for national security are in development, he added.

He reiterated that legitimate rights, freedoms and the core values of the people of Hong Kong will be protected by the law.

Cheung noted that it is in the interests of all to maintain the prosperity Hong Kong has achieved since the city returned to China in 1997.

Cheung said the often-violent protests before the coronavirus lockdowns were a threat to the city's peace and stability. The national security law, he said, would help restore peace and long-term prosperity in Hong Kong.

On education, Cheung said there were calls targeting secondary and primary school students to sign online petitions to oppose the planned national security law.

He said schools and the society at large should stop campuses being politicized and called on the public to foster consensus in the city to safeguard national security.