This New Law For HK Was Inevitable, Says HKMAO

The Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office (HKMAO) said on Friday that Beijing’s move to enact a national security law for Hong Kong is "timely, necessary and very important".

In a statement, a spokesperson said that it had been an "inevitable choice to make" and that the central government is responsible for a "comprehensive and accurate" implementation of "One Country ,Two Systems" and the Basic Law.

The spokesman added that Hong Kong was meant to implement Article 23 legislation under the Basic Law, but 23 years after the handover, this has not happened and the issue has been "seriously stigmatised and demonised".

The HKMAO goes on to say that the legislation will not affect freedom of assembly, freedom of speech or freedom of the press.

"The situation faced by the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region in maintaining national security has become increasingly severe in recent years," the statement said, citing the ongoing protests, calls for independence, and "foreign and Taiwan independence forces nakedly interfering in Hong Kong affairs".

It said these external forces had been adopting "shocking and even violent crimes of a terrorist nature".

"These illegal acts seriously challenge the bottom line of the principle of 'One Country, Two Systems' and seriously endanger national sovereignty, unity, and territorial integrity. Facts show that if national security loopholes are wide open, the whole society will pay a painful price."

Beijing's liaison office also issued a similar statement , saying this was "a necessary move to plug the loopholes in Hong Kong's national security laws", and a fundamental solution to ensure the stability of "One Country, Two Systems".

"Only with a solid national security foundation and a stable overall social situation can we solve the deep-seated contradictions such as the economy and people's livelihoods, give full play to the system advantages of 'One Country, Two Systems', and win more room for development for Hong Kong."