BEIJING - A senior Chinese official on Hong Kong affairs on Monday said the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) must be governed by "staunch patriots."

Addressing a high-level symposium on Hong Kong affairs, Xia Baolong, vice chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference and head of the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council, said patriots must meet three main sets of criteria.

Patriots must do their best to safeguard Hong Kong's prosperity and stability, said Xia Baolong, vice chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference and head of the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council

The first criterion, Xia said, is that patriots must sincerely uphold the nation's sovereignty, security and development interests. They must not conduct activities endangering national sovereignty and security, which is the bottom-line criterion, he added.

Xia said those who hysterically attack the central government, openly advocate "Hong Kong independence," bad-mouth or spread pessimism about China and Hong Kong in the international community or beg for foreign sanctions against China and Hong Kong are undoubtedly not patriots.

Patriots must respect and uphold the fundamental system of the country and the constitutional order of the HKSAR, Xia said, adding that patriotism means loving the People's Republic of China.

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To respect and uphold the constitutional order of the HKSAR, one must resolutely uphold national unity, sovereignty and security, accurately understand and grasp the superior-subordinate relationship between the central authorities and the HKSAR, and properly exercise the SAR's high degree of autonomy, Xia said.

Patriots must do their best to safeguard Hong Kong's prosperity and stability, Xia said, adding that those who apply the "burn with us" tactic are destroyers of Hong Kong's prosperity and stability and are absolutely not patriots.

Loving the country and loving Hong Kong cannot be separated, or even be taken as contradictory to each other, Xia said, adding that the vast majority of Chinese citizens in Hong Kong are patriotic, and those who stand opposed to patriots are a small number of anti-China disruptors.

As destroyers of "one country, two systems," these people shall never be allowed to get their hands on power in the HKSAR, Xia said. "Not now, and not in the future."

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He said the emphasis on "patriots governing Hong Kong" is not meant to erase all differences.

The majority of Hong Kong residents have long had the tradition of loving the motherland and Hong Kong. Some people, having lived in a capitalist society for a long time, lack adequate knowledge of the motherland and the mainland, and thus may hold prejudice against the motherland and the mainland, Xia said.

The central authorities adopt an understanding and inclusive attitude toward them and believe that they will continue to resolutely love the country and Hong Kong, draw a clear line between themselves and the anti-China disruptors in Hong Kong and actively participate in the governance of Hong Kong, he added.

Xia stressed that those who hold important positions, wield vital power and shoulder major governance responsibilities in the power structure of the HKSAR must be staunch patriots who meet higher patriotic requirements.

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They should fully and faithfully implement the "one country, two systems" principle, have a high sense of responsibility and resolutely fight any forces challenging the principle and undermining its practice, Xia said.

They should also plan Hong Kong's future from the strategic height of the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation and overall national development and stay united to form a powerful force of patriots who govern Hong Kong, he added.  

Electoral Reform

Xia also said that it is imperative to improve the electoral system to ensure Hong Kong is governed by patriots.

Improving related systems, especially the electoral system, is "the most critical and urgent" task for implementing the principle of "patriots governing Hong Kong," he said. 

Addressing a high-level symposium on Hong Kong affairs, Xia spelled out five principles that must be upheld in this process.

The Constitution of the country and the Basic Law of the HKSAR must be strictly followed, Xia said, adding that loopholes of related laws should be plugged based on the experience drawn from the "one country, two systems" practice.

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The initiative of the central authorities must be respected, Xia said, adding that the central authorities should lead the efforts to improve the electoral system and will definitely have thorough communication with the HKSAR government and listen to opinions from all walks of life of Hong Kong society.

Stressing the importance of considering Hong Kong's conditions on the ground, Xia said Hong Kong's electoral system should never simply copy that of foreign countries. The best electoral system is the one that suits Hong Kong's own conditions and helps safeguard national security and maintain Hong Kong's long-term prosperity, he added.

Xia said the executive-led system must be enforced, adding that the chief executive is at the core of the HKSAR power structure and its operation.

The related institutional framework must be improved and effective methods formulated to ensure that members of the executive, legislative and judicial organs of the HKSAR and chief officials of its major statutory bodies are genuine patriots, Xia added.

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"The key positions must never fall into the hands of anti-China disruptors," noted Xia.

The purpose of improving Hong Kong's electoral system is to safeguard the healthier and smoother development of the region's democratic system, Xia said.

Reiterating that "one country, two systems" will never be changed, Xia explained that all the efforts made by the central authorities are for the adherence and improvement of this principle and the steady and sustained development of its practice along the correct path.