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Opinion | With national security done and dusted, let’s remake Hong Kong next
- Xia Baolong, the top official on Hong Kong affairs, is daring the city to say and do new things. The central government is expecting no less than courage from the city’s leadership
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It’s time to devote all our energy to recuperating economically and reinventing Hong Kong. This is a clear message from Xia Baolong, director of the State Council’s Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office, which was sent to the Hong Kong government and public on National Security Education Day last Monday.
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There’s no question that the central government has moved on, after making sure that the fort has been built and secured against national security threats. All credit to the current administration, Article 23 legislation was passed without incident, though quite a bit of midnight oil was burned.
Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu has warned of the need to stay vigilant, however. Speaking on National Security Education Day, he said of external risks: “Just like viruses, they will not stop attacking us just because we have been vaccinated.”
Still, now that both Beijing’s national security law for Hong Kong and the city’s Safeguarding National Security Ordinance are in place, the bulk of the remaining work should be done by law enforcement and other relevant agencies. After all, security chief Chris Tang Ping-keung has stressed that the legislation focuses on a small group of individuals.
So the rest of us should get on with tackling the city’s other problems.
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In this regard, Xia had more than a few words to say. While he promised that Beijing would support Hong Kong, he also advised the city to adopt “a new mindset”.
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