MACAO, May 18 (Xinhua) -- The Legislative Assembly of China's Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR) on Thursday passed a bill containing amendments to the Law on Safeguarding National Security at a plenary session.
Macao completed local legislation on safeguarding national security and enacted the law in 2009.
The Macao SAR government hailed the passage of the law as a compulsory step that plays an important role in responding effectively and in time to overall security risks and threats, and further improving the "one country, two systems" principle, in order to better coordinate and safeguard the security and development interests of the country and of Macao.
Safeguarding national security is essential to ensuring the long-term stability of the country and the long-term prosperity and stability of Macao. It is also a shared obligation of all Chinese people, including Macao compatriots, the SAR government said in a statement.
Since 2009, the Macao SAR government has carried out in an orderly manner relevant law enforcement work and related regulatory work, with a view to fulfilling its constitutional responsibility of safeguarding national sovereignty, security, and development interests.
The Macao SAR government said it will spare no effort to optimize related legislation and law enforcement mechanisms required from Macao in order to support the national security system, while fully and precisely implementing the newly amended national security law.
The Macao SAR government will also devote further effort to strengthening awareness in the community regarding national security, while uniting forces from the whole community to safeguard the constitutional order stipulated in the country's Constitution and the Macao SAR Basic Law, in order to fully and accurately implement the holistic view of national security, and ensure the stability of "one country, two systems" principle. ■
