In this undated photo, flags of the People's Republic of China and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region are displayed in Tsim Sha Tsui East. (CALVIN NG / CHINA DAILY)

The central government's determination in developing Hong Kong’s democracy has never wavered, Chen Dong, deputy director of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, said at a seminar on Thursday.

The remarks came after President Xi Jinping recognized Hong Kong's new electoral system and its democratic development when HKSAR Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor reported her work to him on Wednesday.

Over the years, the channels and space for political participation of Hong Kong residents have been greatly expanded, and their democratic rights and freedoms have been effectively protected, said Chen Dong, deputy director of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region

Chen stated that with the central government’s support, the HKSAR’s democracy has seen great development.

Over the years, the channels and space for political participation of Hong Kong residents have been greatly expanded, and their democratic rights and freedoms have been effectively protected, Chen said.

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Local anti-China activists and external forces behind them are the real culprits to be blamed for hindering the progress of Hong Kong democracy, citing their series of moves to smear the improved election system and the National Security Law for Hong Kong, he said.

At the same event, Hong Kong Chief Secretary for Administration John Lee Ka-chiu said the newly -released white paper on Hong Kong democracy reflects the fact that Hong Kong’s democratic system is designed by the central government in accordance with the nation’s Constitution and the Basic Law, instead of  being a “legacy” of British rule.

Noting that there is no one-size-fits-all democracy, Lee said the white paper is of great significance, as it provides a full account of facts and history to strongly refute the unfounded allegations some Western countries made on the just-concluded Legislative Election.

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Expressing his gratitude for the central government’s support, Lee pledged that the SAR government will work with all walks of life in Hong Kong to ensure a steady and smooth development of Hong Kong’s democracy under “one country, two systems”.