Struggle for national security an ‘enduring task’ for Hong Kong, Beijing says
John Lee says white paper issued by State Council serves as a stern warning to ‘traitors who betrayed the country and Hong Kong’
Beijing has issued a white paper on Hong Kong’s role in safeguarding national security under the “one country, two systems” principle, stressing that the city’s struggle on this front “is persistent” and a “long-term and enduring task”.
Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu said on Tuesday that the paper, published a day after former media boss Jimmy Lai Chee-ying was sentenced to 20 years in prison for national security crimes, served as a stern warning to “traitors who betrayed the country and Hong Kong”.
According to the five‑chapter document issued by the State Council, the central government bears the fundamental responsibility for Hong Kong’s national security affairs, while the city must also fulfil its constitutional duty in this regard.
“The struggle to safeguard national security in Hong Kong is persistent,” the paper said, with the 2019 anti-government protests representing the most severe challenge.
Titled “Hong Kong: Safeguarding China’s National Security Under the Framework of One Country, Two Systems”, the report is the third white paper on Hong Kong affairs published by Beijing since 2014.
The previous two outlined Beijing’s “comprehensive jurisdiction” over Hong Kong and set out its strategy to develop democracy in the city “in line with its realities”, while ensuring that “patriots” governed Hong Kong.