HK expected to raise security awareness

The National Security Law's implementation in Hong Kong has achieved initial success in the past two years, but the situation remains grave and more efforts should be done to foil plots aiming to undermine the city's stability, officials and legal analysts said on Saturday.

They made the remarks at a high-level legal forum centered on the importance of the security law. Two years ago, the National People's Congress－the nation's top legislature－issued a decision to improve Hong Kong's capability in safeguarding national security. The law was drafted according to that decision and enacted in the city on June 30, 2020.

Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor said the National Security Law, which has been implemented with unprecedented efficiency, has played a paramount role in restoring the city's law and order in the past two years.

As of May 24 this year, Hong Kong police have arrested 187 people suspected of endangering national security. So far, 88 people and four companies have been prosecuted for related offenses, with eight of them getting convicted, the forum said.

But she said enforcing the law is still at an early stage and the security situation remains grave and complex. The global political situation is so unstable and hostile external forces will continue to stir up trouble. Local radical activists and underground organizations advocating terrorism seek to disrupt the situation, Lam said.

She said she hopes the next HKSAR administration will further promote awareness of national security by civil servants and deepen their understanding of the security situation to enable them to meet the challenges ahead.

Speaking at the same event, Liu Guangyuan, commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the HKSAR, said enforcement of the National Security Law has dealt a heavy blow to anti-China forces.

Many external forces though have never given up their plot to contain China by destabilizing the HKSAR. They have caused great threats to China's core interests, Liu warned. He vowed that their office will resolutely fight against these forces.

To cope with the looming risks and hidden dangers, Zheng Yanxiong, head of the Office for Safeguarding National Security of the Central People's Government in the HKSAR, told the forum that Hong Kong must firmly uphold the rule of law when addressing issues concerning national security.

He said the security office will fully support the HKSAR government in fulfilling its constitutional responsibilities to safeguard national security and further improve the legal system.

Zhang Yong, deputy director of the Legislative Affairs Commission of the Standing Committee of the NPC, stressed the importance of enhancing awareness of national security by all social sectors. He noted that would be conducive to creating a favorable social and political environment for law enforcement.

The all-day forum also featured panel discussions about the prospects of the National Security Law for Hong Kong, how to further improve the SAR's laws to protect national security, and how to deal with new national security threats. It is also among a series of activities to mark the 25th anniversary of the city's return to the motherland.