Senior counsel and former director of public prosecutions, Grenville Cross, on Thursday said the State Council's white paper on national security, released earlier this week, was timely and necessary in addressing ongoing threats in Hong Kong.

Speaking on RTHK's Backchat programme, he said national security mechanisms need to be kept under regular review to counter external negative influences that arose from misinformation and protect the city's way of life.

"And we see it, of course, as well in the attempts to glorify Jimmy Lai. He's been convicted of very serious criminal offences here in Hong Kong, which could have endangered the survival of One Country, Two Systems," he said.

"But the Western media and Western politicians have sought to glorify him, almost elevating to the status of a saint. And one of the reasons they do this is to try and whip up sympathy for him in Hong Kong, which they hope will then somehow damage the government," he added.

Cross's comments were echoed by China analyst Einar Tangen, who said national security had to be safeguarded due to current geopolitical instability.

He said Hong Kong is a vital part of the nation's plan to promote international trade and open up to the rest of the world.

"As you open up, there are security concerns. The United States has said they believe that China needs to be curtailed, contained. They've identified China as a malign actor, most recently in regard to Cuba," he said.

He added there is a need to protect the nation in order to safeguard the interests of those who are doing business in the country.