When the Hong Kong SAR National Security Law (NSL) was enacted on June 30, 2020, it criminalized terrorism in all its forms (Art.24). Although the United Nations (Anti-Terrorism Measures) Ordinance (Cap.575) was already on the statute book, its focus was on the protection of prescribed objects and combating terrorist financing. By contrast, the NSL is comprehensive, criminalizing involvement in terrorist activities or in terrorist organizations, material support for terrorism, and advocacy of terrorism.
The first convicted NSL terrorist was Tong Ying-kit, who was sentenced to nine years’ imprisonment in 2021 for committing acts of terror and secession. He had driven his motorbike into police officers, causing injuries, while displaying a flag calling for Hong Kong’s “liberation”.
In 2024, moreover, Ng Chi-hung and Wong Chun-keung (who headed the so-called “Dragon Slaying Brigade”) were convicted of the terrorism-based offense (under Cap.575) of “conspiracy to commit bombing of prescribed objects” during the 2019 insurrection. In sentencing them to 23 years and 10 months’ imprisonment and 13 years and six months’ imprisonment respectively, the trial judge, Judianna Barnes, said they had “aimed to kill police (and) create panic in society and subvert the Hong Kong government”.
In a rare instance of “lone wolf” terrorism, Leung Kin-fai stabbed a police officer on duty in Causeway Bay in 2021 and then took his own life.
In comparison, however, with many other places, where terrorism is rife, Hong Kong is generally safe. The Police Force, with its sound instincts and reliable intelligence, has invariably neutralized potential dangers before they developed into a serious threat.
For instance, in 2019, early in the insurrection, police located a bomb factory at a storage unit in Tsuen Wan used by the secessionist “Hong Kong National Front”. It contained a kilogram of the powerful TATP explosive (the explosive of choice of terrorists in both the London and Paris bombings of 2005 and 2017), 10 petrol bombs, and other weaponry. The separatists planned to wreak havoc on the streets of Hong Kong, but the Police Force’s timely intervention prevented this.
In many Western countries, terrorism is common, and people feel unsafe when walking the streets, attending open functions, or traveling on public transport. Rigorous security checks have become an integral part of everyday life. The threats can come from organized groups, meticulously plotting outrages, or from “lone wolves” acting spontaneously and sporadically.
In the US, mass shootings (at schools and elsewhere) are rife, as also are other terror-type attacks. In 2018, for example, a right-wing extremist was convicted of killing 11 people at a synagogue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the worst antisemitic attack in American history. On New Year’s Day 2025, a deadly vehicular attack in New Orleans by a driver displaying an ISIS flag killed 14 people and wounded dozens more. Thereafter, on Aug 27, two children were killed and 17 others injured in Minneapolis, Minnesota, after an attacker opened fire on a church in which children were celebrating Mass (the FBI director, Kash Patel, called the attack an act of domestic terrorism motivated by hate-filled ideology).
Indeed, according to the latest midyear rankings for 2025 by Numbeo, the crowdsourced online database, Hong Kong is the eighth-safest place in the world, out of the 148 countries and jurisdictions surveyed. ... That Hong Kong is rated so highly is undoubtedly a tribute to the vision of its political leaders, the resourcefulness of its law enforcers, and the responsibility of its people
In Germany, apart from the existential threats posed by al-Qaida and other terrorist groups, “lone wolf” terrorism is a particular concern, with attackers often targeting revelers during festive periods. In 2020, for example, in what the government called “an act of terrorism”, nine people were killed and five others wounded in a shooting spree by a far-right extremist targeting bars in Hanau, Hesse state.
In the UK, where there are five categories of threat level, the current threat classification from all forms of terrorism is “substantial”. As events over the last 20 years demonstrate, this is unsurprising. In 2005, for example, fanatics detonated bombs on three underground trains and a bus, killing 52 people and injuring 700 more. In 2017, a suicide bomber blew himself up at Manchester Arena during a concert, killing 22 people and injuring 1,017 others. In 2023, the police foiled the attempted bombing of a hospital in Leeds by an ISIS sympathizer carrying 10 kilograms of explosives. Whereas one parliamentarian, Jo Cox, was stabbed to death by a “lone wolf” in the street in 2016, another, Sir David Amess, suffered a similar fate while meeting constituents at his constituency office in 2021.
In Hong Kong, the terrorism level is “moderate”. This places it in the middle tier of the three-level terrorist attack category, meaning that although there is a possibility of an attack, there is no specific intelligence suggesting that the city is likely to be targeted. However, there is absolutely no room for complacency, and the law enforcement agencies are not only fully prepared for any contingency but also determined to stay ahead of the game. This is laudable, as Hong Kong’s very success may attract unwanted attention, with events like the forthcoming National Games being possible terrorist targets.
Moreover, as Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu has explained, “Hong Kong is a highly open and international city, and the free flow of people, goods and capital makes the city a target for terrorism.”
In 2018, to ensure that Hong Kong’s counterterrorism capabilities operate to their maximum potential, the Inter-departmental Counter Terrorism Unit (ICTU) was established, falling under the purview of the Security Bureau. It comprises six disciplined services; namely, Customs and Excise, Correctional Services, Fire Services, Government Flying Service, the Hong Kong Police Force, and Immigration. It collaborates with various departments to enhance counterterrorism (CT) strategies, analyze intelligence, conduct CT exercises and training, ensure practical cooperation, and promote CT awareness and education. It also aims to ensure that people are prepared in the event of a terrorist threat or incident, thereby helping to maintain the city’s safety.
The ICTU is also highly proactive, having, for example, launched an initiative to encourage the logistics industry to be vigilant for suspicious individuals or activities. The industry has over 160,000 workers who handle numerous parcels daily and make visits throughout the city. This, the ICTU explained, meant “they may come across information related to terrorism or other criminal activities”.
The public, moreover, is usually very responsible and keen to protect the city. It was reported last year that a police hotline created for the reporting of suspected terrorism had received over 28,000 tipoffs since its launch two years prior (including reports of alleged weapons possession and harboring of explosives). As the police explained, these figures underscored the importance of raising an early alarm over possible threats. In other words, better safe than sorry, a message reinforced by the latest developments.
On Aug 13, John Lee, a former law enforcement official himself, chaired the first meeting of the recently formed Chief Executive Counter-terrorism Steering Group (CESG), which brought together ministers, departmental chiefs, heads of the disciplined services, and national security officials. It reviewed how the city’s CT strategies were progressing under the Three-tier Prevention Framework (after the CESG, the anti-terrorism mechanism’s second tier involves the Security Bureau’s coordinating group, while the third comprises seven working groups led by the disciplined services).
Lee emphasized that, like other metropolitan cities, Hong Kong “may also face threats from the global and local terrorism landscape”, and announced a large-scale CT exercise. It would involve the disciplined services and civil servants responding to simulated terrorist attacks on critical infrastructure.
That exercise, involving 500 officers from multiple departments and 200 members of the public, and deploying the latest equipment and technology, was successfully undertaken on Aug 28, at the Kai Tak Cruise Terminal (chosen because terrorists often target critical infrastructure).
Although there have been CT drills previously (for example, in 2015), the latest exercise was the largest ever, and took things to a new level.
Code-named “Bravelight”, it tested how departments coordinated the handling of attacks and emergencies, while raising public awareness. It was multifaceted, and, for example, the Fire Services Department and the Hospital Authority established a triage zone to manage large numbers of casualties. Offshore, the marine police (including officers from the Special Duties Unit, or “Flying Tigers”, who abseiled in from helicopters), intercepted a speedboat and rescued 20 hostages previously kidnapped from a passenger vessel. The civilian participants, who came from different sectors and age groups, were chosen through community and youth groups. They either observed events or played assigned roles, including passengers and tourists. The exercise concluded with a convoy of government vessels showcasing Hong Kong’s joint counterterrorism capabilities.
During the exercise, the Emergency Monitoring and Support Centre, overseen by Lee and his senior colleagues, was activated. After it concluded, Lee deemed it a success, praising the “professional competence” of those responding to terrorist incidents. He said the departments involved would “consolidate the experience gained to further strengthen the overall counterterrorism work of the HKSAR government”. This was excellent news for residents and visitors alike, who can be reassured that the city is not only comparatively safe from ordinary crime but also relatively secure from terrorist activity.
Indeed, according to the latest midyear rankings for 2025 by Numbeo, the crowdsourced online database, Hong Kong is the eighth-safest place in the world, out of the 148 countries and jurisdictions surveyed. This was no mean feat, with the city ranking ahead of Singapore (10th), Japan (11th), Germany (53rd), the United Kingdom (86th), and the United States (91st). That Hong Kong is rated so highly is undoubtedly a tribute to the vision of its political leaders, the resourcefulness of its law enforcers, and the responsibility of its people.
Even if this achievement does not delight the foreign critics who never tire of diminishing Hong Kong, it should at least give them pause for thought.
The author is a senior counsel and law professor, and was previously the director of public prosecutions of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.
The views do not necessarily reflect those of China Daily.
