High degree of autonomy is not independence

In his keynote speech at the celebration for the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China on Thursday, President Xi Jinping, who is also general secretary of the CPC Central Committee and chairman of the CPC Central Military Commission, emphasized the central government's overall jurisdiction over the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions and the importance of implementing the legal systems and enforcement mechanisms for the two special administrative regions to safeguard national security.

As always, certain Western media outlets exerted their creativity in distorting the message sent by China. In one Western report after another, they misinterpreted Xi's speech by selectively omitting its true meaning and claiming that Hong Kong would be "silenced" or that only the central government's say in Hong Kong governance would be "secured".

Had anyone listened to the full text of the speech or read it, he or she would have realized he stressed the "one country, two systems" principle and the high degree of autonomy Hong Kong and Macao enjoy. President Xi said clearly, without any ambiguity, that "While protecting China's sovereignty, security, and development interests, we will ensure social stability in Hong Kong and Macao, and maintain lasting prosperity and stability in the two special administrative regions."

The purpose of certain Western media distorting Xi's speech is to misinterpret the "one country, two systems" principle, and try and confuse the distinction between the high degree of autonomy and independence. "One country, two systems" is a security line that protects Hong Kong and its 7.47 million people from the evil hands of foreign-backed political forces and secessionists.

Hong Kong is part of China, and those trying to play political games with it to further their anti-China campaign will not succeed.

On Wednesday, one year since the National Security Law came into effect, Hong Kong police announced they had arrested 117 persons on suspicion of violating the law. By weeding harmful elements out, the law and its enforcement mechanism are ensuring the healthy growth of Hong Kong as a prospering tree－a tree that will stay ever green.