The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government welcomes the passage of the National Security Law by the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPCSC), Chief Executive Carrie Lam said today.

In a statement, Mrs Lam said The Law of the People's Republic of China on Safeguarding National Security in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region will come into effect later today.

The Hong Kong SAR Government will complete the necessary procedure for publication by gazette as soon as possible to enable the implementation of the National Security Law in Hong Kong in tandem, she added.

The law has been listed in Annex III of the Basic Law in accordance with Article 18 of the Basic Law after consulting the NPCSC's Committee for the Basic Law of the Hong Kong SAR and the Hong Kong SAR Government.

Noting that the Hong Kong SAR is an inalienable part of the People's Republic of China and a local administrative region which enjoys a high degree of autonomy and comes directly under the Central People's Government, the statement said safeguarding national sovereignty, security and development interests is the constitutional duty of the Hong Kong SAR and concerns every Hong Kong citizen.

In view of the increasingly pronounced national security risks faced by the Hong Kong SAR, the enactment of a national security law at the state level is both necessary and urgent in order to plug the loophole in national security in Hong Kong, the statement noted.

The legislation is an important step to improve the "one country, two systems" institutional system as well as restore stability in Hong Kong society as soon as possible, it added.

The National Security Law seeks to practically and effectively prevent, curb and punish four types of crimes seriously endangering national security, namely acts of secession, subversion of state power, terrorist activities, and collusion with foreign or external forces to endanger national security.

The law only targets an extremely small minority of offenders while the life and property as well as various legitimate basic rights and freedoms enjoyed by the overwhelming majority of citizens will be protected, the statement noted.

In accordance with the requirement of the National Security Law, the Hong Kong SAR Government will establish the Committee for Safeguarding National Security to be chaired by the Chief Executive as soon as possible.

Dedicated Police and Department of Justice units will be responsible for implementing the relevant legal provisions in the National Security Law.

The Chief Executive expressed her heartfelt thanks to the NPCSC for gauging the views of the Hong Kong SAR Government and various sectors of the community in Hong Kong as well as taking on board the city's practical situation during the law drafting process.

“I am also encouraged by the overwhelming support of the members of the public. I am confident that after the implementation of the National Security Law, the social unrest which has troubled Hong Kong people for nearly a year will be eased and stability will be restored, thereby enabling Hong Kong to start anew, focus on economic development and improve people's livelihood."