HONG KONG – Matthew Cheung Kin-chung, chief secretary for administration of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government, said on Sunday that the principle of "patriots governing Hong Kong" is fully justified and the national sovereignty, security and development interests, as well as Hong Kong's long-term prosperity and stability.
It is a common principle applied around the world that people vested with governing powers must be patriots, rather than something only for Hong Kong, Cheung wrote in an online article.
The principle of "patriots governing Hong Kong" has long existed and is merely the minimum requirement, Chief Secretary for Administration Matthew Cheung Kin-chung wrote in an online article
The principle of "patriots governing Hong Kong" has long existed and is merely the minimum requirement, he said, stressing that the HKSAR is an inalienable part of China and a local administrative region which enjoys a high degree of autonomy and comes directly under the central government.
As issues concerning political systems are within the purview of the central authorities, the HKSAR government is not authorized to formulate political systems, of which the electoral system is an important part, Cheung said.
Improving related systems, especially the electoral system, is the most critical and urgent task for implementing the principle of "patriots governing Hong Kong," Cheung said, adding that the HKSAR government will definitely respect the initiative of the central authorities in improving political systems.
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Only by adhering to the original aspiration of "one country, two systems," acting in accordance with the Constitution and the HKSAR Basic Law, and firmly safeguarding the national sovereignty, security and development interests, will Hong Kong become more stable and make more progress under "one country, two systems," he said.