HONG KONG -- The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government and the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the HKSAR on Thursday jointly held a seminar on Constitution Day, aimed at enhancing public understanding of the constitutional basis of the country and the HKSAR.

Before the seminar, all participants stood and observed one minute of silence in memory of the victims of the fire at Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po, which broke out last Wednesday.

Speaking at the event, John Lee, chief executive of the HKSAR, first expressed deep condolences to the victims of the fire and offered sincere sympathies to their families and the affected residents. He said that the HKSAR government is devoting all-out efforts to disaster relief and follow-up support, and will establish an independent committee to conduct a comprehensive review of the incident, in order to prevent similar tragedies from reoccurring and meet public expectations.

Lee said that the painful lessons from this incident will be transformed into concrete measures to strengthen urban safety and drive institutional reform.

The seminar was themed "The Constitution and the Great Rejuvenation of the Chinese Nation." Lee said the Constitution provides the strongest rule-of-law safeguards and institutional foundation for the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, and it is also the constitutional basis for establishing the HKSAR. On the journey of national rejuvenation, Hong Kong is both a participant and a beneficiary.

Lee called on all sectors to work together to build and develop Hong Kong, contributing to the cause of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.

Liu Guangyuan, deputy director of the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the HKSAR, said that the Constitution provides rule-of-law safeguards for realizing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation; lays the legal foundation for Hong Kong to integrate into the grand journey of national rejuvenation; and endows Hong Kong with institutional advantages to leverage its strengths in the great cause of national rejuvenation.

Liu said that the HKSAR's Legislative Council election proceeding as scheduled on Dec 7 will demonstrate observance of and respect for the constitutional order and the spirit of the rule of law, and will provide strong support for maintaining social stability and post-tragedy reconstruction work. It represents the most responsible attitude towards Hong Kong's future.

About 900 participants from various sectors of the community attended the seminar.