The implementation of the National Security Law for Hong Kong was a “watershed moment” in Hong Kong’s transition from chaos to order, ensuring the city moves forward towards high-quality development with high-level security, the special administrative region government said Monday.

Marking the fifth anniversary of the law’s promulgation and implementation, a SAR government spokesman said the NSL laid a solid legal foundation for safeguarding national sovereignty, security, and development interests.

“This in itself is an important milestone in the undertaking of ‘one country, two systems’,” the spokesman said in a statement.

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“We will also ramp up our efforts in publicity and education to arouse public awareness in safeguarding national security, thereby forming a societal shield to fend off external intervention, ensuring high-quality development with high-level security, continuously composing a new chapter in the practice of 'one country, two systems'."

Emphasizing national security as a top priority, the spokesman said the SAR had long been “undefended” in terms of safeguarding national security since its return to the motherland in 1997.

External forces continuously challenged the bottom line of the principle of “one country, two systems”, bringing unprecedented crises to the city – such as the months-long “black-clad violence” in 2019 – which severely damaged societal, economic and business environment, the spokesperson added.

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On June 30, 2020, the National People's Congress enacted and listed the NSL under Annex III to the Basic Law for local promulgation and implementation in the HKSAR. Following the completion of the legislation of Article 23 of the Basic Law, the Safeguarding National Security Ordinance (SNSO) also took effect on March 23, 2024.

“The HKNSL has addressed the shortcomings and plugged the loopholes in the legal system and enforcement mechanisms for safeguarding national security of the HKSAR, playing the role of a stabilizing force that immediately stopped violence and curbed disorder,” the spokesman said, adding that the HKNSL and the SNSO have built “a strong line of defense to safeguard national security in Hong Kong”.

With Hong Kong’s business environment improving over the past five years, the NSL has been proven to be an important and timely measure, serving as a “guardian” of the city’s prosperity and stability, the statement said.

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“Hong Kong ranks first as the world's freest economy and third among global financial centers, and has returned to the top three in the world in terms of competitiveness, demonstrating that Hong Kong is moving full steam ahead along the path of 'advancing from stability to prosperity'," it added.

The NSL, along with other laws in safeguarding national security in the HKSAR, also protects various rights and freedoms in accordance with the law and international standards, striking “a reasonable balance between safeguarding national security and protection of fundamental rights and freedoms,” according to the spokesman.