National security legislation for HKSAR "highly necessary:" spokesperson

BEIJING, May 21 (Xinhua) -- It is highly necessary for China's national legislature to establish and improve the legal system and enforcement mechanisms for the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) to safeguard national security, a spokesperson said Thursday.

The deliberation of a draft decision on the legislation has been included in the agenda of the third session of the 13th National People's Congress (NPC), scheduled to open on Friday, Zhang Yesui, spokesperson for the session, told a press conference.

Zhang Yesui, spokesperson for the third session of the 13th NPC, attends a press conference via video link in Beijing. The NPC, China's top legislature, held a press conference Thursday night ahead of its annual session in Beijing. Zhang Yesui took questions from Chinese and foreign reporters on the agenda of the session and work of the NPC via video link. (Xinhua/Li He)

Explaining the consideration for the draft decision, Zhang said safeguarding national security serves the fundamental interests of all Chinese including Hong Kong compatriots.

"The HKSAR is an inseparable part of the People's Republic of China, and the NPC is the highest organ of state power," Zhang said.

In light of the new circumstances and need, the NPC is exercising the power enshrined in the Constitution to establish and improve at the state level the legal system and enforcement mechanisms for the HKSAR to safeguard national security, and to uphold and improve the institutional framework of "one country, two systems," he said. ■