The Chinese Association of Hong Kong and Macao Studies held a thematic seminar in HK on July 14 focusing on the role of national security in supporting high-quality development.
For the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), national security has never been an abstract concept. It is fundamental to the well-being of more than 7.5 million residents and to the long-term success of the "one country, two systems" principle. As HK advances from stability to prosperity, gaining a deeper understanding of the legal and constitutional relationship between safeguarding national security and pursuing high-quality development is of both immediate practical importance and enduring historical significance. Equally important is strengthening public awareness of the rule of law and the constitutional responsibilities that underpin the protection of national security.
The Constitution of the People's Republic of China and the Basic Law together form the constitutional foundation of the HKSAR. Key provisions of the Constitution, including Articles 28 and 54, clearly establish citizens' obligation to safeguard national security. The Decision adopted by the National People's Congress on May 28 further specifies that safeguarding the country's sovereignty, national unity and territorial integrity constitutes a constitutional responsibility of the HKSAR.
A constitutional responsibility is not a matter of choice—it is an obligation that must be fulfilled. On March 19, 2024, the Legislative Council of the HKSAR unanimously passed the Safeguarding National Security Ordinance, completing the legislation required under Article 23 of the Basic Law. The Ordinance fully implements the constitutional responsibilities and obligations set out in the Basic Law, the NPC's May 28 decision, and the National Security Law. It closes long-standing institutional and legal gaps in HK's national security framework.
The experience of HK over the 29 years since its return to the motherland has repeatedly demonstrated a simple truth: only when national security is protected can HK enjoy stability, families live in peace, and businesses thrive. Every resident of HK is both a beneficiary and a guardian of national security. There are no bystanders when it comes to safeguarding national security. Every sector of society has a stake in maintaining it, benefits from it, and shares responsibility for protecting it. Only when the community as a whole embraces this constitutional responsibility can HK achieve lasting stability and enduring prosperity.
Security is the foundation of development, while development provides the conditions for lasting security. This principle lies at the heart of the holistic approach to national security and serves as one of the most important lessons drawn from HK's transition from chaos to stability.
Security and stability have already generated substantial dividends for HK's development. The city's renewed momentum is reflected not only in official statistics but also in growing international confidence.
HK climbed two places to rank third globally in the 2025 World Competitiveness Yearbook. It retained its position as the world's freest economy, topped the global rankings for IPO fundraising, and is now home to nearly 3,000 single-family offices. Five of its universities remain among the world's top 100. In 2024, HK attracted US$126 billion in foreign direct investment, ranking third worldwide.
These impressive figures underscore a simple but fundamental reality: development depends on security. Only a safe and stable environment can inspire confidence among global investors, sustain market vitality and reinforce HK's position as an international financial centre. Without security, sustained development simply cannot be achieved.
Yet security is not merely a matter of maintaining order. Just as development varies in quality, so too does security. Basic security may be sufficient to preserve stability, but only high-level security can provide the foundation for high-quality development.
This is one of the central insights of the holistic approach to national security. Security and development are not competing priorities; they are mutually reinforcing and inseparable. Security provides the conditions for development, while development strengthens the capacity to safeguard security.
Speaking at the forum marking the fifth anniversary of the promulgation and implementation of the National Security Law in June this year, Xia Baolong, 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, stressed that HK must better coordinate external and internal security, while paying greater attention to non-traditional security risks, including trade suppression, financial risks, the spread of disinformation and the protection of overseas interests. The objective, he noted, is to build a new security architecture capable of supporting a new development paradigm.
The continued implementation of the National Security Law has laid a solid institutional foundation for this new security architecture. It has strengthened legal certainty, reinforced governance capacity and created a more predictable environment for long-term economic growth.
High-level security is reflected first and foremost in a robust rule-of-law framework. It is also demonstrated through more effective governance and stronger institutional resilience. With a sound security architecture in place, HK has become an increasingly attractive destination for international businesses and investors, who can operate with greater confidence and certainty.
Equally important, high-level security helps foster broader social consensus. According to a recent survey, 94 percent of responding enterprises expressed confidence in HK's rule of law. Such confidence illustrates how a stable legal environment can be translated into trust, investment and sustained economic vitality. In this sense, high-level security is not simply a policy objective—it is an indispensable pillar of HK's high-quality development.
The HKSAR is a local administrative region of the People's Republic of China and comes directly under the Central People's Government. Under the Constitution and the Basic Law, the central authorities exercise overall jurisdiction over the city.
Against this constitutional backdrop, national security cannot be treated as a matter confined to individual jurisdictions or exempted by regional boundaries. This is not merely a political slogan but a logical extension of the constitutional order and an essential manifestation of the central authorities' overall jurisdiction over the HKSAR.
It is within this constitutional framework that the National Security Law was enacted as a national law tailored to HK's specific circumstances. Together with the Safeguarding National Security Ordinance enacted by the HKSAR, it has established a comprehensive legal framework for safeguarding national security. This dual-track system—combining national legislation with local legislation—has effectively addressed the institutional shortcomings that previously existed in HK's national security regime and significantly strengthened its legal safeguards.
Today's international landscape is undergoing profound and accelerated changes unseen in a century. Geopolitical tensions continue to intensify, protectionism is on the rise, and financial risks remain an ever-present challenge. Against this backdrop, HK's role as a "super connector" and "super value-adder" linking the country with the rest of the world carries with it not only unique opportunities but also important constitutional responsibilities—particularly in safeguarding the country's economic and financial security.
HK serves as the nation's southern gateway for financial security. As one of the world's most open international financial centres, it is not only a safe harbour for global capital but also a vital bridge connecting the Chinese Mainland with international markets. This unique position inevitably exposes HK to more complex and sophisticated economic and financial risks than many other jurisdictions.
As Director Xia has observed, HK must pay greater attention to non-traditional security challenges, including trade suppression and financial risks, while maintaining a firm bottom-line mindset to prevent systemic risks in the financial system.
Safeguarding economic and financial security is an area where HK enjoys unique strengths while shouldering unique responsibilities. Backed by the motherland, HK possesses strong institutional capacity and resilience to respond to financial risks. Through effective market surveillance and risk-monitoring mechanisms, potential threats can be identified at an early stage and addressed before they escalate.
As the international landscape and geopolitical dynamics continue to evolve rapidly, HK must remain vigilant and forward-looking. Governments, businesses and the wider community should strengthen contingency planning to cope with potential financial market volatility, shifts in global trade patterns, disruptions to supply chains and fluctuations in energy markets. Protecting HK's economic and financial security is not only essential to preserving the city's own prosperity and stability, but also to reinforcing the nation's high-quality development and ensuring the long-term success of the "one country, two systems" principle.
National security is often compared to sunshine and air—its value is easily taken for granted until it is lost. The responsibility to safeguard national security should therefore be internalised as a shared civic commitment and translated into concrete action.
National security and high-quality development are two inseparable pillars supporting HK's future. Safeguarding national security is a constitutional responsibility shared by all sectors of society. It is also the fundamental prerequisite for HK's sustained prosperity and high-quality development. High-level security provides the institutional foundation upon which high-quality development can flourish, while HK's role as a "super connector" places it under a special responsibility to safeguard the country's economic and financial security.
As the HKSAR prepares its first five-year development plan, it should seize this opportunity to further strengthen its legal framework for safeguarding national security, reinforce public awareness of the rule of law and national security, and continue improving the institutions that underpin long-term stability. By building a stronger and more resilient security architecture, HK will be better positioned to pursue high-quality development, enhance its international competitiveness, and contribute more effectively to the country's overall development while ensuring the steady and sustained implementation of the "one country, two systems" principle.
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