HONG KONG, May 25 (Xinhua) -- National security legislation for Hong Kong is of greatest urgency and will ensure the enduring success of "one country, two systems," Commissioner of the Chinese foreign ministry in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Xie Feng said on Monday.
As he briefed foreign consular corps, chambers of commerce, international organizations and media in Hong Kong on national security legislation for Hong Kong, Xie stressed that national security is the very foundation for a country to survive and thrive, and enacting national security legislation is an exercise of a nation's sacrosanct sovereignty.
The central government holds the primary responsibility for upholding the constitutional order in the HKSAR and ensuring full and faithful implementation of "one country, two systems" and the Basic Law, Xie said.
When national security is at peril and the HKSAR government has difficulty enacting relevant laws on its own because of the forces inciting chaos in Hong Kong and China at large, the central government has to act decisively, and enact at the state level national security legislation for Hong Kong, he added.
The commissioner pointed out that legislation on national security falls within a state's legislative power, and the decision of the National People's Congress (NPC), the supreme organ of state power, to establish and improve the legal system and enforcement mechanisms for the HKSAR to safeguard national security in accordance with the Constitution and the Basic Law has solid legal grounds and the highest legal effect.
Only when national security is safeguarded can "one country, two systems" be fully, faithfully and smoothly implemented, can Hong Kong residents have a sense of security, certainty and happiness, can Hong Kong enjoy greater stability and prosperity, and can the interests of all stakeholders, the international community included, be better protected, he said.
National security legislation for Hong Kong will not change the "one country, two systems" policy, Xie emphasized. "It will not change the capitalist system or the high degree of autonomy of Hong Kong. It will not change the legal system in the HKSAR. Nor will it affect the independent judicial power, including that of final adjudication, exercised by the judiciary in Hong Kong."
The NPC's legislative decision targets only acts of secession, subverting state power and organizing and carrying out terrorist activities, as well as interference in the HKSAR's internal affairs by external forces. It is the small minority of criminals jeopardizing national security that will be punished, while the overwhelming majority of law-abiding Hong Kong residents will be protected, he noted.
The legislation will not affect the rights and freedoms Hong Kong residents enjoy under the law, such as the freedoms of speech, press, publication and assembly, but will only better guarantee them in a safe environment. It will not hinder the performance of duty by foreign consular corps, chambers of commerce and media in Hong Kong, but will further improve the climate for exchanges and cooperation between Hong Kong and foreign countries, and protect the law-based operation of international businesses here, Xie said.
The legislation will alleviate the grave concern among local and foreign business communities about the violent and terrorist forces attempting to mess up Hong Kong with the "burn with us" tactic, and will create a more law-based, reliable and stable business environment for foreign investors, he said.
The commissioner reiterated that the Chinese government is rock-firm in upholding national sovereignty, security and development interests, in implementing the "one country, two systems" policy, and in opposing any external interference in Hong Kong affairs. Enditem
