The more anti-China forces try to portray the recent moves to strengthen the rule of law and improve the governance system of Hong Kong as undemocratic, the more they reveal what a sham their championing of democracy is.

The institutional progress the special administrative region has made in advancing democracy since China resumed the exercise of sovereignty and implemented the basic policy of "one country, two systems" is beyond question.

As a white paper the State Council Information Office issued on Monday reminds people, under British colonial rule there was no democracy in Hong Kong. Although people in Hong Kong made numerous demands for democracy, the British government rejected or ignored all of them. The means by which the people of Hong Kong can govern Hong Kong have been designed, created, safeguarded and advanced by the Communist Party of China Central Committee and the central government.

It is the central authorities that have "conceived the principle of One Country, Two Systems, put in place its institutional framework, built a creative democratic system aligned with the principle, and passed laws to ensure the functioning of democracy in Hong Kong", the white paper rightly points out.

And rather than threatening the democratic framework in the SAR as the anti-China forces allege, the central authorities have continually endeavored to advance the orderly development of democracy in Hong Kong in accordance with the Basic Law and the policy of "one country, two systems". It has been those seeking to overturn the constitutional order and destabilize Hong Kong who have held back the progress of democracy in the SAR.

As the white paper, titled "Hong Kong: Democratic Progress under the Framework of One Country, Two Systems", clearly details, it is the anti-China agitators both inside and outside the region who on the pretext of fighting for democracy, "have attempted to stage a color revolution, split Hong Kong from China, and seize power in the SAR" with the intent of destabilizing Hong Kong and the rest of China.

Exploiting their elected positions on the Legislative Council and district councils, and otherwise abusing their capacity as holders of public office, anti-China agitators have openly challenged the principle of "one country, two systems", the constitutional order and the rule of law in Hong Kong in an attempt to derail the development of democracy in the SAR and carry out activities detrimental to China's national security.

But despite their endeavors, the central government has never wavered in its commitment or faltered in its efforts to support the development of democracy in Hong Kong.

The introduction of the National Security Law for Hong Kong and the reform of the SAR's electoral system are the latest moves to ensure the administering of Hong Kong by patriotic residents of the SAR.

What Hong Kong has experienced over the past two years indicates the more solid the one-China foundation is — the more firmly it upholds national sovereignty — the more room there is for the functioning of democracy in Hong Kong.