HONG KONG -- Chief Secretary for Administration of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government Matthew Cheung on Sunday called on civil servants to fully support the HKSAR government in fulfilling the responsibility for safeguarding national security.

Civil servants should perform their respective duties in different posts, fully support the HKSAR government in fulfilling the responsibility for safeguarding national security, and unswervingly support the HKSAR chief executive and government in their administration, Cheung said in an article published in his official blog.

Cheung reiterated that the law on safeguarding national security in the HKSAR targets an extremely small number of people endangering national security and will not affect the legitimate rights and freedoms enjoyed by Hong Kong residents. He slammed some Western politicians' threat of sanctions as blatant interference in Hong Kong affairs and China's internal affairs at large.

He stressed the importance of education for the next generation on sense of national identity, correct conception of history, love for the nation and correct values.

He also emphasized the need to strengthen the public's awareness of safeguarding national security, especially among the youths.