The national and Hong Kong SAR flags flutter outside the Hong Kong's West Kowloon Station. [Photo provided to China Daily] HONG KONG - It is a constitutional obligation for China's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) to safeguard national security in successfully implementing the principle of one country, two systems, officials have said at a symposium here. The successful implementation of 'one country, two systems' is impossible without national security. Here in Hong Kong, we must always keep the special administrative region's constitutional obligation close at heart, Wang Zhimin, director of the central government's liaison office in HKSAR, said at the symposium on Monday to mark China's fourth National Security Education Day. Also speaking at the symposium, HKSAR Chief Executive Carrie Lam said that national security is the corner stone of a country's stability and the best guarantee for its people's well-being, and Hong Kong, as an integral part of China, has the responsibility to safeguard China's national security. In the new era of China's reform and opening up, Hong Kong needs to take a more active part in the country's national governance, and make efforts to improve its citizens' national security awareness, Lam said. The HKSAR government bears the constitutional responsibility for local legislation on national security in accordance to the Hong Kong Basic Law Article 23, Lam said, adding that her government will continue its efforts for a favorable social environment for the legislation. Before the completion of the local legislation, the HKSAR government will not turn a blind eye to any deed violating the national constitution and the Basic Law and jeopardizing national security, she stressed. wristbands with a messageembossed printed wristbandspersonalized awareness braceletscrossfit silicone wristbandswhere can i buy yellow wristbands
Piglets are held in pens at a modern pig farm in Beijing on April 30. [Photo by Wu Bo/For China Daily] BEIJING - A Chinese mainland spokesman on Wednesday said the African swine fever outbreak on the mainland, initially reported in August, has been effectively dealt with and was under control. Ma Xiaoguang, spokesman for the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office, made the remarks when responding to fabrications by Taiwan's Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) administration which reportedly claimed that the mainland was concealing facts about the outbreak, and the disease on the mainland was out of control. Speaking at a press conference, Ma rejected DPP administration's claims as sheer, intentional hype, saying they were an attempt to sow discontent towards the mainland among Taiwan residents. The mainland's measures and achievements in the prevention and control of African swine fever have received recognition from the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), Ma said. The mainland has been keeping updating related international and regional organizations on the African swine fever outbreak in a timely, open and transparent manner, the spokesman said, adding that as a member of the World Organization for Animal Health, Taiwan has access to information on animal epidemic diseases. According to Ma, following the bird flu outbreaks across the Taiwan Strait in 2004, both sides agreed to establish a non-official channel, under which two specified organizations maintained regular exchanges of information on epidemic diseases in agricultural products that are currently not being traded between both sides. It ran smoothly before it was discontinued due to changes in personnel and functions in the concerned Taiwan-based organization in 2017, the spokesman said.
