The National Security Law for Hong Kong marks a “milestone” in the cause of “one country, two systems”, a Hong Kong and Macao affairs official said on Wednesday.

The State Council’s Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office deputy director Zhang Xiaoming told a news conference in Beijing that the new law, which took effect on Tuesday night, serves as a “guardian” for Hong Kong’s prosperity and stability and is a “turning point” for Hong Kong’s development to “get back on track”.

The Standing Committee of the 13th National People’s Congress (NPC), the top legislature, on Tuesday unanimously passed The Law of the People’s Republic of China on Safeguarding National Security in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR).

It came into force as soon as the full text was published about one hour before the start of Wednesday, which was the 23rd anniversary of Hong Kong’s return to Chinese sovereignty.

As of 8pm on Wednesday, police had arrested over 300 protesters, including nine suspected of violating the National Security Law. The rest were arrested for suspected unlawful assembly, disorder in public places, reckless driving and possession of an offensive weapon.

The first two arrested who were suspected of breaking the new law, a man and a woman, were found carrying a flag and a placard, respectively, advocating “Hong Kong independence” amid an illegal assembly on Hong Kong Island on Wednesday afternoon.

The new law says anyone who organises, plans, commits or participates in committing secession shall be guilty of an offence.

Zhang said: “Hong Kong’s unique status as an international financial, trade and shipping centre is owing to the backing and support of the Chinese mainland, and in turn it has leveraged its strengths to support the mainland’s reform and modernisation.”

However, if national security offenders are still allowed to turn the city into a springboard for conducting subversion against the mainland, Hong Kong would lose its status and its prosperity would be gravely undermined, he said, reiterating that the law serves as a high-hanging sword over only a tiny number of offenders as well as a deterrent to external forces.

China’s “one country, two systems” principle is pioneering and unprecedented and thus bound to be fraught with challenges during its advancement and face problems that need to be addressed, he said.

Since Hong Kong’s return to China in 1997, the NPC Standing Committee has exercised its constitutional power on matters concerning the Basic Law, HKSAR’s mini-constitution. Enactment of this law is the most significant initiative taken by the central government to address issues related to Hong Kong.

Zhang said it is also the second major law specifically tailored for Hong Kong by the central government, following the Basic Law.

He said the new law is sure to face scepticism and concerns, but it fully complies with the “one country, two systems” principle.

Zhang criticised some foreign politicians’ comments that the Chinese government is trying to advance a “one country, one system” agenda in Hong Kong.

“If we are going to make one system, this matter would be far simpler. We could have imposed our national laws such as the Criminal Procedure Law straightaway on the HKSAR. Why would we bother to create so much work to tailor-make a law for Hong Kong?” he said.

He said some international voices have misunderstood the concept of China’s “one country, two systems” and have criticised China for eroding Hong Kong’s autonomy whenever the central authorities exercise their powers according to law.

“’One country, two systems’ is our state policy. No one cherishes it more than we do, no one understands its true meaning better than we do and no one has more power to define and explain our policy than we do,” he added.

China unveiled the full details of the National Security Law on Tuesday night, laying out penalties, with the heaviest being life imprisonment for four categories of crimes – secession, subversion, terrorism and collusion with foreign forces.

North Korea’s official Rodong Sinmun newspaper on Thursday lauded the new law and announced Pyongyang’s full support of China amid the deepening Sino-US rivalry.

It said: “The most pressing issue is that the US is pestering China’s socialist system, calling it a dictatorship and outright denying the regime . . . Sino-US relations are snowballing into an all-out confrontation.”

“We fully support the Chinese people in their struggle . . . as the US continues to pressure China from all directions.

“Socialism is the Chinese people’s strategic choice, and it is the unwavering will of the Chinese party and government to firmly adhere to it and continue to develop it.

“Our people are confident that the Chinese people will conquer all challenges and hurdles, and attain great achievements in its efforts to build socialism with Chinese characteristics,” it said, as translated by The Post.

CHINA DAILY/ASIA NEWS NETWORK