Shortly before the second anniversary of the promulgation of the National Security Law (NSL) for Hong Kong, Zheng Yanxiong, director of the Office for Safeguarding National Security, warned us that Hong Kong still faced risks and hidden dangers in spite of the implementation of the NSL.
As a time of mounting concerns about the challenges posed by the heightened geopolitical risks to national security, Zheng’s warning has prompted deeper reflection on the urgent need to safeguard national security in a comprehensive manner in Hong Kong.
The NSL has plugged the loopholes in our legal system and reversed the chaotic situation that had beset Hong Kong for more than 10 months since June 2019. But Hong Kong is not risk-free. According to Zheng, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government will need to further improve the legal system for safeguarding national security and strengthen the implementation of security laws in Hong Kong.
In April 2014, President Xi Jinping issued a policy statement on national security. His definition of national security provides the best conceptual lens through which to understand the holistic approach taken by China toward national security. The holistic perspective covers 12 aspects. They are: political security, territorial security, defense security, economic security, cultural security, public security, technological security, internet security, ecological security, resources security, nuclear security and the security of overseas interests.
In a nutshell, President Xi defines national security in very broad terms to encompass sovereignty, the stability of the Communist Party of China-led socialist regime, a mosaic of economic security, cultural security, technological security, ecological security and cybersecurity, and developmental interests of China. It is worth noting that the deteriorating Sino-American relationship and COVID-19 have added new complexity to the complicated national security problems of China.
As explained below, a lot more can and needs to be done to enhance cultural, economic and internet security. Zhang Yong, deputy director of the Legislative Affairs Commission of the National People’s Congress Standing Committee, has also reminded us that laws alone are not enough. We need to cultivate a social and political environment for safeguarding national security and raising national security awareness in all walks of life. We must therefore stop at nothing to strengthen national security education in Hong Kong.
Against the backdrop of heightened geopolitical rivalry in the region, some argue that we should review the existing legislation in relation to cultural work so as to ensure that the national security red lines are extending far and wide in Hong Kong. The hidden danger of cultural imperialism must not be overlooked because it is not only an effective means to strengthen a country’s soft power, but also a sugar-coated poison to undermine the legitimacy of its rivals. As famous French philosopher Michel Foucault has correctly pointed out, inherent in systems of power is always “truth” which is culturally specific, inseparable from ideology which often coincides with various forms of hegemony. Cultural imperialism may be one example of this.
In particular, there is an urgent need to stop hostile powers from defaming the CPC and China in their cultural products. The following discussion will focus only on our movie industry. In drafting the Film Censorship (Amendment) Bill 2021, the SAR government should give top priority to striking a balance between legitimate national security concerns and the demand for artistic freedom and creativity.
According to the bill, official censors will be empowered to ban movies deemed to be in violation of the NSL. At present, the Film Censorship Guidelines for Censors are of a general nature. The aim of the censors should be to reflect contemporary public attitudes toward censorship standards. Forced to step out of the comfort zone, some stakeholders in the film industry feel unprepared and have called for more clarification. Some still complain that they are unclear about the limits stipulated in the bill. The SAR government needs to convince the stakeholders that these national security red lines are framed within reasonable bounds.
Western sanctions on Russia over its military action in Ukraine have fueled discussion in China about how to reduce reliance on the US-dollar system and establish the yuan as a strong, internationally traded reserve currency. According to Yu Yongding, a former central bank adviser, China should reduce its US-dollar assets, including the $1.04 trillion worth of Treasury bills it held. Hong Kong should also prepare for the worst. Under the worst-case scenario, the linkage between local banks and the SWIFT global payment system and the pegged exchange rate system will be clouded in uncertainty if the US considers imposing further unreasonable measures to “punish” Hong Kong.
Concerning internet security, we reiterate that the SAR government should focus on combating fake news on social media and websites. As mentioned earlier in this column, we may consider taking a leaf out of Singapore’s book in drafting our fake-news law. The SAR government should also strengthen its cybersecurity monitoring system and educate the public on internet safety. Besides, Hong Kong lacks specific legislation to regulate crowdfunding on the internet. If there is new legislation to regulate crowdfunding platforms, national security police should be in charge of enforcing the new regulations.
Finally, we must not overlook the pressing need to cultivate a favorable social and political environment for safeguarding national security in Hong Kong. What matters most is the need to patiently convince Hong Kong residents that they have a duty to understand the central government’s national security concerns. Most importantly, they have a sacred duty to defend their motherland. With regard to national security education, the secretary for education has already requested schools to formulate and implement as early as possible plans on national security education. An early implementation of the new curriculum is strongly recommended.
Junius Ho Kwan-yiu is a Legislative Council member and a solicitor.
Kacee Ting Wong is a barrister, part-time researcher of Shenzhen University Hong Kong and the Macao Basic Law Research Center, and co-founder of the Together We Can and Hong Kong Coalition.
The views do not necessarily reflect those of China Daily.