A symposium on improving the institutional framework of "one country, two systems" and implementing the fundamental principle of "patriots governing Hong Kong" was held in Beijing Monday.

 

Participants of the symposium, organized by the Chinese Association of Hong Kong and Macao Studies, agreed that the principle of "patriots governing Hong Kong" is the essence of "one country, two systems."

 

Prompt efforts are now needed to improve related systems in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), especially the electoral system, to effectively prevent and dissolve the risks in the governance architecture of the HKSAR.

 

China's resumption of exercise of sovereignty over Hong Kong can only be truly realized when the jurisdiction of Hong Kong is in the hands of the Chinese people who love the motherland and Hong Kong.

 

Upholding "patriots governing Hong Kong" is not a stringent standard but the bare minimum in order to ensure the implementation of "the people of Hong Kong governing Hong Kong" in the HKSAR.

 

Hong Kong's transition from chaos to stability has once again demonstrated that the principle of "patriots governing Hong Kong" must be always upheld to ensure the steady and sustained implementation of "one country, two systems," as Chinese President Xi Jinping has said when hearing the work report by HKSAR Chief Executive Carrie Lam on Jan. 27.

 

This statement has shown the way forward for maintaining Hong Kong's long-term stability.

 

In the past few years, Hong Kong witnessed some phenomena and problems that challenged the bottom line of "one country, two systems." One of the direct causes is that the principle of "patriots governing Hong Kong" has not yet been put into effect in all fields of endeavor.

 

Some anti-China disruptors, "Hong Kong independence" elements and other radical separatists have been infiltrating into the governance architecture of the HKSAR through loopholes of the region's electoral system.

 

They had spread ideas of "Hong Kong independence," resisted the jurisdiction of the central authorities, wantonly interfered in the governance of the HKSAR government, and begged for intervention from foreign anti-China forces.

 

These people are no doubt destroyers of "one country, two systems," fermenting unrest in Hong Kong and bringing harm to China.

 

More and more far-sighted people have come to realize that implementing the fundamental principle of "patriots governing Hong Kong" is a shared responsibility of the Hong Kong society. The most critical and urgent task is to improve related systems, especially the electoral system.

 

Those who hold important positions, wield vital power and shoulder major governance responsibilities in the power structure of the HKSAR must be staunch patriots who take safeguarding the "one country, two systems" principle as their highest responsibility and have the courage to fight any forces challenging the principle and undermining its practice.