Hong Kong leader: National security law betters 'one country, two systems'

Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor said on Wednesday that the newly promulgated national security law for Hong Kong vindicated the central authorities' determination to adhere to and better implement the "one country, two systems" principle.

It also showed the central government's resolve to end chaos and restore stability in the city, while at the same time protecting the majority of Hong Kong residents who abide by the law, Lam told a news conference the day after the national security law took effect.

Through the promulgation of the national security law, the central government adhered to the implementation of "one country, two systems" while making long-overdue improvements in some "imperfections" in the city's legal system and mechanism to safeguard national security, Lam said.

Lam said that the legislation also reflected the high degree of trust of the central government in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, as the SAR government remains the main law enforcement body.

National security is pertinent to the interest of the 1.4 billion Chinese people, and it may involve complicated international issues that the special administrative region might not be able to handle, Lam said. Thus, the central government retains jurisdiction in certain circumstances, she said.

The SAR government will carry out the national security law properly to live up to this trust, she said.