The Hong Kong government on Saturday held a seminar to study and interpret Beijing’s newly issued white paper titled “Hong Kong: Safeguarding China’s National Security Under the Framework of One Country, Two Systems,” with Chief Executive John Lee describing the document as having “final and authoritative” guiding significance for the city.
The seminar was organized in response to the white paper released earlier this week by the State Council. Former chief of the Central Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office Wang Zhenmin and former vice chairperson of the Basic Law Committee Maria Tam Wai-chu were invited to explain the spirit and key directives of the document. Liaison Office Director Zhou Ji and Director of the Office for Safeguarding National Security Dong Jingwei were also in attendance.
Addressing the event, Lee said the white paper is of utmost importance to the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and carries decisive guiding meaning.
He noted that it emphasizes safeguarding national sovereignty, security and development interests as the highest principle of the “one country, two systems” framework, and systematically summarizes the practical requirements Hong Kong must grasp in safeguarding national security.
Lee pointed out that the white paper was released the day after media tycoon Jimmy Lai Chee-ying was sentenced to 20 years in prison by the court, saying the timing carried particular warning significance. He said the document serves as a reminder that Hong Kong once faced ongoing political turmoil when national security was left unprotected.
He added that the white paper sets out how high-level security can safeguard the high-quality development of the “one country, two systems” cause and carries practical and actionable meaning.
The SAR government will continue to strengthen publicity and education through various channels, encouraging different sectors of society to study and understand the document’s key messages and requirements in order to enhance public awareness of national security, he said.
Legislative Council President Starry Lee Wai-king said after the seminar that the white paper systematically reviews Hong Kong’s struggle in safeguarding national security, including the failure to complete Article 23 legislation in 2003, the social unrest in 2019 and what she described as interference by external forces, which posed severe challenges to society at the time.
She said the history demonstrates that without national security, there can be no prosperity for Hong Kong.
After the central authorities enacted the National Security Law for Hong Kong, the rule of law returned to the right track, she said, adding that the city completed Article 23 legislation two years ago, establishing an efficient legal framework to safeguard national security.
However, she noted that in recent years there have still been attempts to smear the national security law or publish inaccurate reports. The white paper, she said, helps set the record straight and strengthens investor confidence in Hong Kong.
