Legislative Council (LegCo) building of China's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. (Xinhua)

The decision adopted by China's top legislature on the qualifications of Hong Kong lawmakers further clarifies the "bottom line" and political rules for "patriots governing Hong Kong," ensuring that all politicians uphold the Constitution, the Basic Law, and are loyal to the country and Hong Kong, expelling those who pose a danger to the country and Hong Kong from the local governance structure, a senior Chinese official said on Friday. 

The decision sets long-term rules for the qualification of members of the Legislative Council (LegCo). It is conducive to the implementation of the spirit of patriotism enshrined in the Constitution, and demonstrates the supreme authority of the Constitution in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), Luo Huining, director of the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the HKSAR, said at an online forum on Friday, marking China's seventh national Constitution Day. 

China's top legislature adopted a decision on HKSAR LegCo members' qualification in November, stipulating that LegCo members shall be disqualified from office if they are determined by law to have failed to meet the legal requirements of upholding the HKSAR Basic Law and honoring the pledge of allegiance to the HKSAR.

Luo said that the whole society must be keenly aware that only by recognizing and respecting the Constitution and the constitutional basis of the HKSAR through the Constitution and the Basic Law, can we overcome the new conditions, problems and challenges that have arisen in the practice of "one country, two systems" in recent years. 

Some people in Hong Kong only held steady the original legal system, but ignored the fundamental changes in the constitutional basis of the HKSAR. "This is the ideological root of the turmoil in Hong Kong in recent years," Luo said. 

Only under the guarantee of the Constitution and the Basic Law can Hong Kong's high degree of autonomy be implemented, its spirit of rule of law survive and its prosperity and stability be maintained for a long time to come, he said. 

Patriotism is a sacred duty of Chinese citizens stipulated in the Constitution, and the HKSAR must always adhere to "patriots governing Hong Kong," Luo said, noting that some Hong Kong candidates and those elected for civil servants have openly advocated the idea of "Hong Kong secessionism," refusing to recognize the state's sovereignty over Hong Kong and sought intervention in Hong Kong affairs by foreign countries or overseas forces, which is totally contrary to the constitutional requirement of "patriots governing Hong Kong."

Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam said at the forum that Hong Kong people's understanding of the Constitution and the Basic Law is still inadequate even 23 years after Hong Kong returned to the motherland. 

In addition, some people with ulterior motives have deliberately distorted the relationship between the central government and the HKSAR and even set "one country" and "two systems" against each other, resulting in many disputes, conflicts and even confrontations in Hong Kong, Lam said. 

Safeguarding China's sovereignty, security and development interests is the fundamental purpose of China's Constitution and the bottom line of "one country, two systems," Lam said. 

To promote the Constitution, Hong Kong has organized a series of public education activities, and the Hong Kong government also proposed activities for schools, Lam said. 

Global Times
Newspaper headline: Decision on HK lawmakers’ criteria clarifies the ‘bottom line’ and political rules for ‘patriots governing Hong Kong’: senior official