Ahead of his meeting with Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor, chief executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, in Beijing on Monday, President Xi Jinping said that Hong Kong was enduring the most complex and difficult situation since its return to the motherland.

Expressing his hope that Hong Kong would return to the right path and restore unity, he said the central authorities would continue to extend their unwavering support to the HKSAR government and police in their efforts to uphold the law.

Lam, who is in the national capital on her annual duty visit to brief State leaders about the current economic, social and political situation in the SAR, was praised by Xi for holding fast to the principle of "one country, two systems", and for showing courage and a sense of responsibility during an "extraordinary time" for Hong Kong.

There can be no doubt the challenges facing the city are unprecedented in both scale and ferocity, and that they are being exacerbated by outside forces and the Western media. A study by the independent US media watchdog, Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting, for example, shows that US news media have routinely glossed over the details of the Hong Kong riots and rarely used negative language when reporting on the violence of the rioters, while consistently doing so when describing the police response.

But there can also be no doubt that what the radical elements and their backers are trying to engineer is a mission impossible. The young people who have chosen to follow their lead may think this is a gamble of a lifetime that is fun and exciting, but they should harbor no illusions that they are playing a dangerous game. The nation is steadfast in its resolve to safeguard the nation's integrity.

For those participating in marches because of livelihood grievances, that Xi highlighted the deep research Lam's government has done to identify the root causes of Hong Kong residents' concerns, indicates the central authorities' confidence that the concrete measures being implemented will effectively respond to their needs.

But the fact that the passenger throughput at Hong Kong airport has fallen to the lowest level since the onset of the financial crisis shows how urgent it is for Hong Kong to put an end to the violence and restore social stability for the resumption of healthy economic activity.

The violence may continue for some time, but Xi's remarks show the central authorities are confident the HKSAR government will prevail in the battle to restore order. And the reason is simple: Lam's government has the full support of the central authorities and the nation as guarantee for Hong Kong's peaceful and prosperous future.