Central government and HKSAR officials at the 2022 National Constitution Day seminar held on Dec 4, 2022 to mark the 40th anniversary of the Constitution’s promulgation. (PHOTO PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY)
Hong Kong must fully respect the Constitution’s authority and set national security protection as its overarching guiding principle to enable the nation’s charter to play a more effective role in safeguarding the implementation of “one country, two systems”, a high-level seminar to mark Constitution Day heard on Sunday.
Luo Huining, director of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu and political heavyweights addressed the seminar to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the promulgation and implementation of the nation’s Constitution.
Luo Huining, director of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the HKSAR, stressed that safeguarding national security is the HKSAR’s constitutional responsibility and bottom line that must be resolutely kept
Luo said the Constitution is the fundamental law of the country, and the Hong Kong community must respect its authority, as well as the leadership of the Communist Party of China, as stipulated in the law.
He stressed that safeguarding national security is the HKSAR’s constitutional responsibility and bottom line that must be resolutely kept. To maintain Hong Kong’s constitutional order, the city should make national security protection its overarching guiding principle, and all local organizations and individuals should firmly abide by the National Security Law for Hong Kong.
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Deng Zhonghua, president of the Chinese Association of Hong Kong and Macao Studies, said although the National Security Law has achieved remarkable results, safeguarding national security in the HKSAR remains serious and complex. Whether the city’s national security law can be fully and accurately upheld in a series of major national security cases still needs to be proven.
Deng Zhonghua, president of the Chinese Association of Hong Kong and Macao Studies, said although the National Security Law has achieved remarkable results, safeguarding national security in the HKSAR remains serious and complex
To maintain the HKSAR’s lasting stability, local authorities should accurately and comprehensively understand the legislative intent of the security law and seriously crack down on anti-China activists based on the law, said Deng.
The HKSAR should also actively fulfill its constitutional obligations stipulated in Article 23 of the Basic Law, which requires the city to enact its own laws to prohibit actions that endanger national security, he said.
Lee said the Constitution has played a vital role in ensuring the comprehensive implementation of “one country, two systems”, especially when the HKSAR faced severe challenges and adversities.
As the nation embarks on a journey at a critical period to fully build a modern socialist China, Lee pledged that Hong Kong will unswervingly uphold the Constitution and fully implement the principle of “one country, two systems”.
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Maria Tam Wai-chu, deputy director of Hong Kong’s Basic Law Committee under the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress, told a panel discussion at the event that to make greater contributions to helping China become a modern socialist country, Hong Kong should fully leverage its strengths in linking up with the Chinese mainland and overseas regions.
Maria Tam Wai-chu, deputy director of Hong Kong’s Basic Law Committee under the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress, said to make greater contributions to helping China become a modern socialist country, Hong Kong should fully leverage its strengths in linking up with the Chinese mainland and overseas regions
She said the HKSAR, with its unique advantages, could be a more significant engine in driving national development, and strengthening its irreplaceable position in numerous areas.
Entitled “Constitution and New Journey of the New Era”, the seminar was attended by more than 600 prominent representatives of various sectors. It was jointly held by the HKSAR government and the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the HKSAR, with the Endeavour Education Centre as the supporting organization.
To mark Constitution Day, a series of activities were held in the HKSAR to boost youths’ sense of national identity.
The Security Bureau led the city’s six disciplined services, youth groups under various disciplined and auxiliary services, as well as other youth uniformed groups, in holding a flag-raising ceremony at Hong Kong Customs College.
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For the first time, the Immigration Department’s Youth Leaders Corps organized a special training camp over the weekend to observe Constitution Day. The three-day camp provided professional flagraising and marching training for youth leaders from various schools, allowing them to experience the formal disciplinary training received by immigration officers.
Contact the writers at oasishu@chinadailyhk.com