The Office for Safeguarding National Security of the Central People’s Government in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region on Monday applauded the successful completion of the  2025 Legislative Council election, while reiterating a stern rebuke of attempts by hostile forces to disrupt the city during the poll by exploiting the recent tragic fire in Tai Po.

A spokesperson from the Office highlighted the poll as an exemplary demonstration of high-quality democracy that fully embodies the “patriots administering Hong Kong” principle, saying that this sets the stage for sustained good governance and high-quality development in the city.

In response to the Tai Po fire, the SAR government mobilized all sectors to address the disaster, organized relief and recovery, and ensured the election was held as planned under difficult conditions, the Office said.

Voters turned sorrow into resolve, exercising their right to vote for themselves, for Hong Kong, and for the future, it added.

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Throughout the election period, foreign hostile forces and anti-China agitators persisted in launching malicious attacks on the electoral process and candidates, according to the spokesperson.

They attempted to “turn tragedy into city-wide turmoil”, the spokesperson explained, manipulating public sorrow to smear the government’s post-fire response and falsely framing the election as hampering relief work, in an ill-intentioned effort to urge voters not to participate in the poll or to spoil their ballots.

All attempts to disrupt or interfere in the LegCo election are doomed to be futile, the Office stated.

Anti-China disruptors or external forces will never be able to derail Hong Kong’s high-quality democratic advancement, nor alter the city’s forward momentum from stability toward prosperity, it added.

The spokesperson stressed that the Office remained committed to backing the SAR government’s administration in accordance with the law and its endeavors to align development with security.

The Office will continue to oversee the thorough and precise enforcement of the National Security Law for Hong Kong and the Safeguarding National Security Ordinance to safeguard the city’s lasting stability and prosperity, it said.

Contact the writer at wanqing@chinadailyhk.com