There are thoughtful arrangements to ensure its effective enforcement, including the setting up of new bodies responsible for national security in the SAR. And the articles of the law show that the nation's lawmakers have heeded the lessons from the turmoil that has plagued Hong Kong for more than a year and which has exposed the limitations of the SAR's judicial, executive and legislative organs in defending the city's rule of law because of the region's lack of national security legislation.

Hong Kong has paid a heavy price for this, as the unrest has cost some people their lives, and others their livelihoods.

And despite claims to the contrary, the involvement of the central authorities in maintaining stability and security in Hong Kong will better uphold the SAR's high degree of autonomy as it will stop external forces from meddling in the SAR, allowing Hong Kong people to firmly grasp the initiative in their own hands.

Before details of the law were known, radical elements in Hong Kong and fork-tongued Western politicians speculated about the content so as to paint it in a bad light. But having been promulgated by the SAR government, questions about the law, especially those related to implementation and enforcement, are being answered, and the malicious motivation behind the speculation is evident.

But whatever might be claimed otherwise, there are no grounds for questioning the validity of the law or debate about its content or necessity.

Acts that seriously challenge the "one country, two systems" principle, gravely undermine Hong Kong's rule of law and development interests, or threaten national security will not be tolerated in Hong Kong; the law makes that clear.