"If any teaching materials including books have content which is outdated or involve the four crimes under the law, unless they are being used to positively teach pupils about their national security awareness or sense of safeguarding national security … they should otherwise be removed from the school," the spokesperson said, as quoted by South China Morning Post.
According to the statement, schools play an important role in choosing suitable teaching materials.
"The bureau would take serious follow-up actions if any problems arise over the issue," the spokesperson added.
On 30 June, the highest legislative authority of China, the standing committee of the National Peoples' Congress, passed the draft law on national security in Hong Kong that criminalizes subversion, separatism, terrorism and collusion with third countries. Chinese President Xi Jinping enacted the law shortly thereafter.
The controversial legislation, which has triggered new waves of protests in Hong Kong and a backlash abroad over the 40 days it was under review by the Chinese authorities, has paved the way for Beijing to establish an agency in Hong Kong to supervise the implementation of the new security provisions.
Despite the concerns of local activists over the new law’s negative impact on civil liberties in the special administrative region, both Beijing and Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam have stressed that the law only aims to target subversive and terrorist activities without harming the existing democratic liberties of local residents.
Under the 1984 Joint Declaration of the United Kingdom and China, Hong Kong was transferred under Chinese rule in 1997 as a special administrative unit whose citizens would enjoy exclusive political, economic and personal freedoms until 2047 under the "one country, two systems" concept.
