HK benefits from stronger national awareness: China Daily editorial

The effective implementation of the National Security Law for Hong Kong, after its promulgation by the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress — China's top body of State power — on June 30 last year, has helped to end the months-long nightmare for residents in the special administrative region who do not share the ideology or political views of the radical anti-government elements and so lived in constant fear of being attacked, both verbally and physically.

The new law has also jolted the political zealots in Hong Kong out of their illusion that they would be able to grab Hong Kong's governing power and turn the region into an independent political entity by leveraging the support and interference of foreign powers that either harbor ideological bigotry against China or have geopolitical interests to reap in sowing disorder in Hong Kong. This is evidenced by the fact that the masterminds, bankrollers and instigators behind the months-long anti-China and anti-SAR government violent campaign in 2019 have in general hauled in their sails after the enactment of the law, so have their foot soldiers, specifically the rioters.

The security law, to be complemented by the reform to Hong Kong's electoral system with the aim of weeding out from the SAR's political establishment unpatriotic elements that pose a risk to national security or other national interests, has put the city back on the right track of socioeconomic and political development. Hong Kong is embracing a new era which is devoid of the political wrangling that has been so pervasive — particularly inside the local legislature where it has crippled the SAR government's ability to tackle the city's deep-seated social problems, as well as efforts to further develop and diversify the SAR economy — to the detriment of the overall well-being of society.

Indeed, even casual observers should have no difficulty in seeing the endgame of Hong Kong's toxic politics: The anti-China political force in the region is on an accelerating decline, leading to its eventual demise.

The recent grandstanding remarks by some of the leaders of Hong Kong's anti-government campaign, such as those by Jimmy Lai Chee-ying, who in an open letter called on the staff of his Apple Daily publishing company to "stand tall", and Lee Cheuk-yan, who declared "history will absolve us" after pleading guilty with Lai to taking part in an unlawful assembly, are nothing more than whistling in the dark. They have no chance of having their way.

Thursday marks the sixth National Security Education Day, and Hong Kong, in particular, has much to celebrate, as the moves to end the destabilizing activities of radical localists and external forces have shown that rather than being far removed from daily life, national security is an essential shared responsibility.