White paper helps review HK's national security duties: Henry Tang

National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference Standing Committee member Henry Tang said the recent white paper on "Hong Kong: Safeguarding China's National Security Under the Framework of One Country, Two Systems" helps society review Hong Kong's responsibilities in this area.

Tang stated that the High Court's verdicts in cases involving Jimmy Lai and others, which concerned endangering national security, demonstrated Hong Kong's rule of law. He emphasized that in a society governed by law, everyone has a duty to comply, lawbreakers must bear legal responsibility, and only with social safety and stability can there be room and opportunity for development.

Tang believes the white paper reaffirms Hong Kong's constitutional responsibility to safeguard national security, aiding the steady and sustained practice of "one country, two systems." He explained the document holds significant contemporary relevance, reviewing Hong Kong's historical role in national security and summarizing its transition from chaos to order and then prosperity, which helps society re-examine its important duties.

"Security is the prerequisite for development, and development is the guarantee of security," Tang said. He believes that with the conclusion of the national security trials, including Lai's, and the rule of law upheld, Hong Kong must move forward, implement the white paper's content, persist in promoting high-level openness under high-level security safeguards, and prepare for the nation's 15th Five-Year Plan and unpredictable geopolitical challenges.