April 15 marked the 2025 National Security Education Day, coinciding with significant anniversaries: five years since the implementation of the Hong Kong National Security Law and one year since the enactment of the Safeguarding National Security Ordinance. The Committee for Safeguarding National Security of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region hosted an opening ceremony and thematic forum at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre.
Xia Baolong, the Director of the Hong Kong and Macao Work Office of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council, delivered a keynote speech via video link. He emphasized China's unwavering stance against external pressures, stating, "Whether it is a tariff war, trade war, or any other kind of war, we have nothing to fear. The sky will not fall. It is extremely naive to think that by flattering, bowing down to, or pleading with the U.S., we can achieve peace, respect, and development. We must abandon illusions."
Xia condemned recent U.S. actions, including the so-called "Hong Kong Policy Act Report 2025" and sanctions against six Chinese and HKSAR officials, as desperate attempts to destabilize Hong Kong. He particularly criticized the U.S. for imposing cumulative tariffs of up to 145% on Hong Kong - a free port that maintains zero tariffs on all imports, including American goods. "Over the past decade, the U.S. trade surplus with Hong Kong has reached US$271.5. Despite Hong Kong being the largest source of the U.S. trade surplus, the United States still imposed high tariffs on it." Xia said. "The U.S. isn't after our tariffs - it is after our very survival."
Xia urged vigilance against foreign interference, recalling how external forces fueled past unrest in Hong Kong. "The so-called 'sanctions' and 'reciprocal tariffs' will only make us more united and determined to maintain national security and the prosperity and stability of Hong Kong," he declared, rallying public unity behind China's development path.
The event underscored Hong Kong's reinforced legal framework for national security while highlighting growing U.S.-China tensions over the city's status. Despite U.S. pressure, Xia affirmed that Hong Kong would continue thriving as an international hub under the "one country, two systems" principle.
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