Natl security law for HK within central government's authority: MFA
People's Daily app
1593688318000

65685c8090254d708efbb47f1689929e.jpg

The Chinese national flags and flags of the Hong Kong SAR flutter in Hong Kong. (Photo: Xinhua)

The national security legislation power falls within the sovereignty of a country and the central government. The central government bears the greatest and ultimate responsibility for safeguarding its national security, said the Chinese Foreign Ministry in a statement on Thursday.

The NPC is the highest organ of power in China. Its decision to improve Hong Kong’s legal system and enforcement mechanism at the national level is in accordance with the Constitution of China and the Basic Law of Hong Kong. The legislation is necessary to fill the loopholes in Hong Kong's national security laws to safeguard China’s national security. It is also a fundamental policy to ensure the stability and long-term development of the "one country, two systems" principle, the statement stressed.

Article 23 of the Basic Law authorizes the HKSAR to enact on its own the maintenance of national security. However, in the 23 years since HK returned to its motherland, the relevant legislation has been incomplete due to the obstruction and interference of the anti-China forces and foreign hostile forces in Hong Kong. Thus, the central government has both the power and the responsibility to legislate and fill the loopholes and gaps at a time when the HKSAR faces a grave situation in safeguarding China’s national security, the statement said. 

In early 2009, the Macao Special Administrative Region completed legislation to safeguard national security. It enacted the Macau National Security Law and carried out relevant law enforcement and research to support legislation on safeguarding national security in an orderly manner. 

In 2018, the Macao SAR government established the Commission for the Maintenance of State Security of the Macao Special Administrative Region, an agency to coordinate its maintenance of national security in Macao. Macau SAR also continued to improve the legal institutions, organization systems and enforcement mechanism for safeguarding national security.

During Britain’s colonial rule in Hong Kong, the British Treason Act was applied in Hong Kong with special enforcement agencies. It is with double standards to criticize Chinese central government's legislation on the national security law for Hong Kong.

The foreign ministry published a statement in its official website to refute groundless accusations made by Western media on Hong Kong, Xinjiang and COVID-19 pandemic, and presented the facts on human rights in China.  

(Compiled by Xiong Shiyin and He Jieqiong)