Over 1.85m Hong Kong residents sign petition supporting national security legislation

HONG KONG -- More than 1.85 million Hong Kong residents, including Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Carrie Lam, have signed a petition in support of the national security legislation as of Thursday.

The petition was launched on Sunday by a newly established organization named United Front Supporting National Security Legislation and could be participated both online and through street stands across Hong Kong.

Lam visited one of the street stands and signed the petition on Thursday.

"Safeguarding national security is the responsibility of everyone and bears on our daily life," she said at the street stand, expressing hope that the national security legislation will help Hong Kong restore stability and then revitalize the economy.

Major officials of the HKSAR government have also signed the petition to show support for the legislation.

Deputies to the 13th National People's Congress (NPC) attending the closing meeting of its third annual session on Thursday voted overwhelmingly to approve the NPC Decision on Establishing and Improving the Legal System and Enforcement Mechanisms for the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region to Safeguard National Security.

United Front Supporting National Security Legislation, jointly initiated by thousands of people and hundreds of groups representing various sectors in the Hong Kong community, welcomed the national legislature's decision.

National security legislation has become the consensus of the Hong Kong community and is highly anticipated by the public, the spokesperson of the organization said, calling on more Hong Kong residents to participate in the petition, which will continue until May 31.