Li Zhanshu, chairman of the Standing Committee of the 13th National People's Congress (NPC), said on Monday that the committee is resolute in its commitment to pass national security legislation for the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR). 

He said the legislation would bolster the city's stability and prosperity as well as protect national security.  

Li made the remarks in a work report of the Standing Committee during a plenary meeting of the third session of the 13th NPC at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.  

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Explainer: What's national security legislation for HKSAR?

Vice Chairman of the Standing Committee of the 13th NPC Wang Chen outlined the draft decision on establishing and improving the legal system and enforcement mechanisms for HKSAR to safeguard national security on Friday. He cited growing national security risks and increasingly rampant foreign interference in Hong Kong as reasons to enact the legislation.

Before drafting the law, Li said the Standing Committee had heard and deliberated a report on national security-related issues concerning HKSAR submitted by the State Council, China's cabinet.  

He said the law would uphold and improve the "One Country, Two Systems" policy, adhere to the principle of "Hong Kong people governing Hong Kong" and strengthen the Basic Law.  

The legislation is in the fundamental interests of all Chinese people including those from Hong Kong, Li added, and the NPC Standing Committee is able to complete this legislative task. 

(Cover: China's national flag and the flag of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region are seen on the Golden Bauhinia Square in Hong Kong, August 5, 2019. /Xinhua)