BEIJING, March 11 (Xinhua) -- The Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council on Thursday pledged to firmly support and implement a decision on improving the electoral system of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR).
It is imperative to improve the HKSAR's electoral system, the office said in a statement after the National People's Congress (NPC), China's top legislature, adopted the decision on Thursday, citing the chaos in Hong Kong particularly since the turmoil in 2019 over the now-withdrawn ordinance amendments.
The NPC made the decision and authorized its standing committee to amend Annex I and Annex II to the Basic Law, which is a legitimate and justified move that conforms to the Constitution.
The move is urgently needed to eliminate political turbulence and sustain Hong Kong's transition from chaos to stability, the statement said, stressing its fundamental role in ensuring Hong Kong's long-term stability and prosperity, as well as the steady practice of "one country, two systems" in the long run.
Effectively implementing the principle of "patriots administering Hong Kong" is the key to improving Hong Kong's electoral system, the statement said, adding that the principle is the essence and the natural requirement of "one country, two systems."
Both formulating the Law on Safeguarding National Security in the HKSAR and improving Hong Kong's electoral system aim to fully and precisely implement the policy of "one country, two systems" and safeguard fundamental interests of the country and Hong Kong, according to the statement.
The central government is rock-firm in implementing the "one country, two systems" policy and strictly following the Constitution and the Basic Law of the HKSAR, the statement said.
The office expressed the belief that improving the HKSAR's electoral system is like dispelling political dark clouds over Hong Kong and will create a better future for the region. Enditem