Hong Kong citizens celebrate the passage of the Law of the People's Republic of China on Safeguarding National Security in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) in Causeway Bay of south China's Hong Kong, June 30, 2020. (Xinhua/Wang Shen)
BEIJING, July 1 (Xinhua) -- The law on safeguarding national security in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) marks a milestone in advancing the cause of "one country, two systems," an official said Wednesday.
The law is designed to ensure the full and faithful implementation of the "one country, two systems" principle and will strengthen institutional safeguards against national security risks in Hong Kong, said Zhang Xiaoming, deputy director of the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council, at a press conference in Beijing.
The law will have a far-reaching impact on ensuring the steady and sustained implementation of "one country, two systems," Zhang said.
Noting the law is a landmark for refining the central authorities' policy in relation to the governance of Hong Kong, he added that it also demonstrates that the central authorities attach greater importance to the top-level design of the system for the governance of Hong Kong and on the rule of law.
Chinese lawmakers on Tuesday voted to adopt the 66-article law and later passed a decision to list the law in Annex III to the HKSAR Basic Law.
The law on safeguarding national security in HKSAR came into force in Hong Kong at 11:00 p.m. local time on Tuesday upon its promulgation by the HKSAR government in the gazette. ■
