Secretary for Security Tang Ping-keung stressed today that the Constitution is the most important component of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region's constitutional order and of paramount importance to “one country, two systems”, following a court's guilty verdict in an incitement to subversion case. 

Meeting the media this afternoon, Mr Tang said the court's ruling enabled justice to be done in the case against the now-defunct Hong Kong Alliance as well as Lee Cheuk-yan, Ho Chun-yan and Chow Hang-tung, who were charged with “incitement to subversion”.

He highlighted that the alliance, since its establishment, had adopted so-called fundamental agendas and objectives to end the leadership of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and overthrow the fundamental system of the People's Republic of China (PRC) established by the Constitution.

“We must all acknowledge that the Constitution is the fundamental law of the State,” Mr Tang said.

He noted that Article 22 of the Hong Kong National Security Law (NSL) explicitly prohibits the overthrowing or undermining of the PRC's fundamental system or overthrowing the PRC's central power.

“In this case, even after the Hong Kong NSL took effect, the defendants continued with various acts, including attempting to hold unauthorised assemblies, inciting the public through slogans and so-called resistance, publishing content, media interviews, and speaking publicly, attempting to incite others to subvert state power, as well as overthrow or undermine the CPC leadership status by unlawful means constituting the offence stipulated under the Hong Kong NSL.

“Finally, I would like to reiterate that regarding any attempt to endanger national security, we will act in strict accordance with the principle of the rule of law and never show leniency,” he added.