Civil servants in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), including 12 deputy secretaries and 14 political assistants, have taken an oath of allegiance to the HKSAR and its Basic Law, the government said in a statement on Wednesday.

The ceremony was witnessed by Chief Executive Carrie Lam.

According to the Basic Law, civil servants in the HKSAR must perform their duties faithfully and be loyal to the HKSAR and accountable to the government.

Undersecretaries and political assistants are politically appointed officials bound by and collectively responsible for the decisions made by the government, the statement noted.

They are responsible for assisting secretaries of department and directors of bureau in undertaking the full range of political work. Undersecretaries will deputize for the relevant directors of bureau during the latter's temporary absence, the statement added. 

As key members of the HKSAR's governing team, it is incumbent upon undersecretaries and political assistants to uphold the Basic Law and bear allegiance to the HKSAR. 

"The taking of the oath to uphold the Basic Law and bear allegiance to the HKSAR by the undersecretaries and political assistants is of great significance. They made a solemn promise on their responsibilities, genuinely showing to the community their loyalty and commitment to the Basic Law and the HKSAR and thereby boosting the confidence of the public in the politically appointed officials," a government spokesman said. 

Moreover, the Civil Service Bureau (CSB) issued a circular in October requiring all civil servants joining the HKSAR government on or after July 1 this year to take an oath or sign a declaration as one of the conditions for appointment. 

The CSB will also promulgate shortly the details of arrangements for requiring serving civil servants to sign the declaration. The oath-taking ceremony for permanent secretaries and heads of department will be held on December 18, according to the statement.   

(With input from Xinhua)