Secretary for Security Chris Tang Ping-keung reaffirmed his commitment to combat the covert and ever evolving “soft resistance” tactics aimed at inciting hatred of the central and local governments.

He pledged stronger intelligence gathering and intensified public awareness campaigns, and underscored the necessity to continuously refine local laws that shield Hong Kong from national security threats.

During an exclusive interview with China Daily, Tang, who was the city’s police commissioner during the social turbulence in 2019, said the traumatic period took a significant toll on the city, recounting violence and harassment of police officers and their facilities.

He said the implementation of the HKSAR National Security Law (NSL) on June 30, 2020, dispelled the cloud, restoring stability and plugging a long-existing loophole in the city’s legal system. He added that the law, together with the Safeguarding National Security Ordinance 2024, serves as the legal foundation against national security threats.

With this year marking the fifth anniversary of the NSL’s implementation, Tang said Hong Kong has ushered in a significant transition from chaos to order. 

“Our crime rate stands at about 1,200 cases per 100,000 population, which is one of the lowest in the world,” he said.

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The city remains one of the world’s top financial hubs, and had the fourth-largest IPO market in the first quarter of this year. Hong Kong ranked ninth in respect of “order and security” on the 2024 World Justice Project Rule of Law Index, surpassing the United Kingdom and the United States.

Enduring vigilance Tang urged heightened vigilance against “soft resistance” — a tactic he described as using covert and evolving forms to oppose the central government’s overall jurisdiction over the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and the SAR’s high degree of autonomy.

“It usually exploits social or livelihood issues that seem unrelated to national security to circulate false information, inciting people’s distrust or even hatred of the authorities,” Tang said.

Tang highlighted intelligence gathering as key to counteracting “soft resistance”. Measures include cyberpatrols — detecting crimes on the internet — and the operation of the police’s national security reporting hotline (+852 6271 7171, for texts only), which has received over 940,000 messages since its inception in 2020.

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Initiating timely clarification campaigns against misinformation is another strategy. He said that since the implementation of the NSL, the authorities had refuted and exposed slanderous remarks on more than 200 occasions. “Apart from refutations, it is also necessary to make the public aware of the tricks used by slanderers and the facts of involved topics.”

Tang also stressed the government’s ongoing efforts in updating local laws that have yet to fully comply with the national security requirements stipulated in the NSL and the Safeguarding National Security Ordinance.

He cited a recent amendment to the Prison Rules, proposed by the Security Bureau, as an important refinement. The amendment, effective from July 16 and submitted to the Legislative Council for negative vetting, focuses on enhancing prison security and management, particularly in addressing national security risks.

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Intensifying the public’s awareness of the need to safeguard national security and enhance their ability to recognize “soft resistance” carries similar weight, Tang said.

One major initiative in this regard, the 1,100-square-meter National Security Exhibition Gallery was opened at the Hong Kong Museum of History in Tsim Sha Tsui in August 2024. As of mid-July, the gallery had welcomed over 1 million visitors.

Patriotic elements such as national flag-raising ceremonies have been integrated into school education, with more activities, contests, and seminars focusing on national security being hosted at the community level to boost youth awareness, Tang said.

The SAR government has also been publishing engaging picture books, animated videos, and cartoons, with easy-to-understand storytelling to introduce national security concepts to children, he added.

Contact the writer at williamxu@chinadailyhk.com