Tsai trying to invalidate two systems: China Daily editorial

The escalation of violence and lawless activities in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region has undermined public order and security and threatened the rule of law and the lives and property of people in Hong Kong.

Yet, despite this, since the National People's Congress, the country's top legislature, proposed and adopted the decision to introduce legislation to improve the legal system and law enforcement mechanisms in the SAR to better safeguard the well-being of its more than 7 million residents and prevent the "one country, two systems" framework from being manipulated by radical elements in Hong Kong and their overseas patrons, Taiwan leader Tsai Ing-wen has jumped into the ring trying to capitalize on the issue.

Her reaction has exposed her administration's eagerness to fuel the chaos in Hong Kong as a means to undermine and invalidate the "one country, two systems" policy, which has also been proposed for Taiwan.

After it was reported that the NPC was deliberating on a draft decision on national security legislation for Hong Kong at its annual session last week, Tsai immediately joined the anti-Beijing chorus led by some Western countries, condemning the proposed legislation and stating via Facebook that Taiwan would provide the people of Hong Kong with "necessary assistance".

After the NPC approved the decision to establish and improve the legal system and law enforcement mechanisms in the SAR, Tsai paid a high-profile visit to a bookstore run by a prominent Hong Kong dissident, repeating promises of humanitarian support and sanctuary for those who she alleged were "fighting for democracy" in the Asian financial hub.

In the same vein, the island's "legislature" last week claimed it would advance related legislation and administrative measures to provide Hong Kong's people with necessary assistance.

Since the planned national security legislation for the SAR targets cutting the collusion between those seeking Taiwan's secession from the mainland and those calling for "independence" for Hong Kong, it is no wonder that Tsai and her anti-Beijing supporters have been so vehement in denouncing it. Once implemented, it will greatly reduce the space for Taiwan separatists to work hand in glove with the anti-government forces in Hong Kong.

Tsai has not only used Hong Kong's social unrest to fish for her own political gains but also counted on the unrest in Hong Kong to enable her to establish a second front in her pursuit of de facto independence for Taiwan in the eyes of the international community.

Contrary to the demonizing of the legislation by Tsai and others as a "comprehensive assault" on Hong Kong's high degree of autonomy and sounding the death knell for the "one country, two systems" principle, the legislation will safeguard the SAR's high degree of autonomy by bolstering the Basic Law and its enforcement so as to prevent those with an anti-Beijing agenda from making Hong Kong a base for secessionism, subversion, infiltration and sabotage against China.