The Law of the People's Republic of China on Safeguarding National Security in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) shows the central government's commitment to "one country, two systems" and high trust in the HKSAR, HKSAR Chief Executive Carrie Lam said on Wednesday.

The enactment of the law at the state level shows that the central government is determined to restore stability in Hong Kong after continued unrest and chaos since last June, and to protect the vast majority of law-abiding Hong Kong residents from being endangered by a minority of people who attempt to undermine national security, Lam said at a press conference on Wednesday afternoon.

It also shows that the central government is determined to preserve and better "one country, two systems", a principle underlying Hong Kong's stability and prosperity since the HKSAR was established 23 years ago, she said.

The central government's high trust in Hong Kong is reflected as the law stipulates that the HKSAR bears the primary responsibility of implementing this national law in Hong Kong, Lam pointed out.

The HKSAR will do its utmost to fulfill the responsibility of implementing the law in Hong Kong to ensure that the law's legislative objectives are achieved and the continued success of "one country, two systems" and the long-term prosperity and stability of Hong Kong are guaranteed.

The HKSAR will establish the Committee for Safeguarding National Security as required by the law, the chief executive said, adding that she, as the chairperson of the committee, will submit an annual report to the central government on the performance of duties of the HKSAR in safeguarding national security.

Apart from law enforcement, the HKSAR government will also strengthen education on the law so as to raise public awareness of safeguarding national security, she said.

Hailing the law as unique and groundbreaking, the HKSAR government's Secretary for Justice Teresa Cheng said at the press conference that the law marks a milestone for "one country, two systems" as it is an important step for establishing and improving the legal system and implementation mechanisms for safeguarding national security in the HKSAR.

The HKSAR government's Department of Justice will establish a dedicated division to handle prosecutions and related matters on national security, Cheng said, adding that the relevant work is ongoing.

The HKSAR government's Secretary for Security John Lee said at the press conference that the Hong Kong Police Force (HKPF) has set up a department for safeguarding national security with law enforcement capacity as required in the law.

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