HK, Macao work office of CPC Central Committee to be formed in key move to support and guide SARs' integration into national development plan

A Hong Kong and Macao work office of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee will be formed on the basis of the existing Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council, according to a plan on reforming Party and state institutions released on Thursday.

The move aims to fully implement the central government's full governance over the two Special Administrative Regions (SARs) and the One Country, Two Systems principle, supporting the two SARs to integrate into the country's overall development plan, analysts said.

The new office will function as a working body of the CPC Central Committee. The name of the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council will be retained, said the plan.

The Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council on Thursday expressed full support for the plan.

The work office is responsible for practicing the One Country, Two Systems, implementing the central government's full-scale governance and administering the two SARs in accordance with the laws. The work office is also in charge of safeguarding national security and ensuring the wellbeing of people, conducting relevant research and coordinating work in helping the two cities to integrate into the country's development plan.

Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu welcomed the reform plan, saying that the central government has always done what is best for Hong Kong and the people of Hong Kong.

Lee said he will lead the HKSAR government to maintain effective communication with the work office to let the CPC Central Committee fully understand and grasp the situation in Hong Kong, to ensure that the One Country, Two Systems principle, Hong Kong residents governing Hong Kong and a high degree of autonomy are successfully practiced in the city.

"The CPC is the highest creator and executor of the One Country, Two Systems principle. For long-term stability and development, especially under the turbulent international situation, Hong Kong's transition from order to prosperity cannot go without the support and guidance of the CPC Central Committee," Lau Siu-kai, a consultant from the Chinese Association of Hong Kong and Macao Studies who is also a senior policy advisor, told the Global Times on Thursday.

"The Hong Kong issue is no longer just about national reunification, but has a bearing on building a great modern socialist country, achieving the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, maintaining national security and promoting the reunification of the Taiwan island," Lau said.

The CPC Central Committee strengthening its leadership over the Hong Kong affairs will also be conducive to maintain and promote the prosperity of the city with all-out efforts, to ensure that the city won't become a weak point in national security and that its development plan would be seamlessly connected with the country's overall plan.

Some Hong Kong lawmakers also applauded the reform plan. Nixie Lam, a legislator of the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong SAR, told the Global Times on Thursday that it is of great significance to set up the work office led by the CPC Central Committee, which can better implement the central government's policies in Hong Kong and improve local governance capabilities to promote its prosperity and stability.