Legal scholars and politicians in Hong Kong have hailed the central government’s new white paper on safeguarding national security in the city, alongside the recent sentencing of former media mogul Jimmy Lai Chee-ying, as major milestones in strengthening the city’s rule of law and ensuring its long-term stability and prosperity.

They discussed the white paper, titled “Hong Kong: Safeguarding China’s National Security Under the Framework of One Country, Two Systems”, following its release by China’s State Council Information Office on Tuesday.

Priscilla Leung Mei-fun, a lawmaker, barrister, and law professor at the City University of Hong Kong, said the document systematically summarizes Hong Kong’s historical trajectory, institutional practices, and achievements in safeguarding national security from the perspective of constitutional order and local governance.

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Leung, who is also a Hong Kong deputy to the National People’s Congress, said the document demonstrates the central government’s firm commitment to the faithful implementation of the “one country, two systems” principle. The framework remains unchanged and undistorted, with Hong Kong enjoying a high degree of autonomy, the rule of law, and prosperous development, she said.

The “one country, two systems” framework is not only an institutional arrangement established by the Constitution and the Basic Law of the Hong Kong SAR, but also a guiding principle of national governance, Leung said.

Fu Kin-chi, director of the Chinese Association of Hong Kong and Macao Studies, and president of the Association for the Promotion of Rule of Law, Education and Technologies, said the 20-year sentence handed down to Lai under the Hong Kong SAR National Security Law reflects both the gravity of his offenses and the court’s dignity and authority.

The verdict was fair, impartial, and free from any political consideration — it was based solely on facts and evidence, he said.

Huang Ping, head of the Chinese Institute of Hong Kong, a local branch of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said that Lai’s case serves as a landmark in the implementation of the NSL, providing positive and guiding significance for maintaining long-term stability in Hong Kong.

Since the NSL’s promulgation in 2020, Huang said, the law’s enforcement — including high-profile cases such as Lai’s — has served as a symbolic safeguard of Hong Kong’s social order, representing a pioneering step in national security protection.

He added that the white paper gives a comprehensive account of the NSL’s implementation over the past five years, and offers guidance for future policy-making and actions.

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Lawmaker Simon Lee Hoey said that both national and local practices to safeguard national security have effectively countered the attempts of anti-China forces to undermine China’s steady development and the SAR’s stability and prosperity.

He highlighted key local measures such as the implementation of the “patriots administering Hong Kong” principle, electoral and district governance reforms, and a strengthened executive-led system, as key factors behind the improvements in governance efficiency and quality.

Chris Cheung Mei-hung, a veteran Sai Kung district councilor, said the white paper’s emphasis on “patriots administering Hong Kong” offers valuable guidance for community-level governance. He said that under this principle, policymaking and resource allocation have become smoother and more precise, providing clearer, more pragmatic directions for district administration.