A senior Beijing official overseeing Hong Kong affairs on Saturday warned against complacency on safeguarding national security even though a landmark piece of legislation implemented five years ago has restored peace to the city.

Xia Baolong, director of the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office, hailed the National Security Law as a "guardian" for One Country, Two Systems, as well as stability and prosperity in the SAR.

He said while peace had returned to the city with the law's implementation in 2020, there had previously been a serious loophole in the city's defences as the government had been unable to enact legislation safeguarding national security as required under Article 23 of the Basic Law.

He cited multiple protests and riots that occurred over the years as evidence of this.

But Xia reminded people not to "ignore the pain after the wounds are healed" from the 2019 protests.

"Don't think that Hong Kong is now safe and there's no longer need to safeguard national security," he said in an address at a forum marking the fifth anniversary of the law's enactment.

"We can still see all forms of 'soft resistance'. Hostile forces overseas are still trying to tamper with Hong Kong. Their efforts never stopped."

The Beijing official also said ensuring that political power in the SAR continues to be held by patriots is key to national security and the city's future.

"If the governance of the Hong Kong government is not firmly in the hands of patriots," Xia said, "then there's no way we could talk about stability and prosperity, and safeguarding national security would just be empty words."

The people must cherish this hard-won stability, he noted, adding that the city should "go all out" to focus on economic advancement and development.

Looking ahead, Xia urged the SAR administration to "open a new chapter", while striving to boost effectiveness in governance and resolve deep-rooted conflicts.

He also underscored the importance of strengthening the city's ability to defend national security to guard against threats to the financial system in the face of "trade suppression."

The city should maintain an open business environment and embrace investors from all over the world, Xia said, adding that the SAR should consolidate its traditional markets while developing new ones.
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Last updated: 2025-06-21 HKT 11:02