The Chinese State Council Information Office Tuesday issued a white paper on the practice of the "one country, two systems" policy in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. It reaffirms the overall jurisdiction of the central government over the special administrative region.

The official document drew immediate attention from Hong Kong's public opinion, among which the opposition objected.

Hong Kong has seen and will see several events organized by the opposition, such as the Occupy Central campaign and the upcoming June 22 "referendum" and July 1 march. Many people keep asking one question: What is happening in Hong Kong? Is there an all-out confrontation between Hong Kong civil society and the central government?

We don't think so. So far, Hong Kong society has been operating within the framework of the "one country, two systems," but there still exist some concerns. The Hong Kong opposition are trying to guide this unprecedented framework to their favorable end.

But it must be noted that Hong Kong is not a state, and the "two systems" can only be applicable when the "one country" is guaranteed. It will take some long-term efforts to make Hong Kong society fully understand and accept this idea.

There will be debates and conflicts within Hong Kong, and the opposition will make use of the situation to maximize their influence on society. It is possible that some debate will even touch the red line.

The white paper was published to streamline the basic approach of "one country, two systems" for Hong Kong, trying to correctly guide a society perplexed by avid political debate.

As to the opposition, they will react strongly against the white paper for a time. But most will have to accept the principles reaffirmed in the document. They don't have much breathing space if they want to strive off track for their political goals.

As  the 2017 chief executive election of Hong Kong draws near, it is speculated that there will be strong debate and conflict. But when the conflict dies down, many political rules will take shape. As long as the central government insists on its path and carries forward the established "one country, two systems" approach, Hong Kong will go through the election smoothly in 2017.

The opposition will keep being cynical. They have the right to express sharp opinions, but they are forbidden to gamble for their own political interests at the cost of Hong Kong stability. This is an unarguable bottom line.