The city's first five-year plan will include elements relating to national security and the SAR's long-term sustainable development, according to the new Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs.

In an interview with Ta Kung Pao and Wen Wei Po newspapers published on Monday, Janice Tse said the plan would be drawn up on the basis of the principle that "security is the prerequisite for development, and development is the guarantee of security".

She highlighted the importance of patriotic education, which is crucial to safeguarding national security.

The government will host more events, including exhibitions and forums, and arrange visits to the mainland, Tse said, so as to engender young people with a greater sense of national identity, along with a deeper understanding of the nation.

"In the long term, for every citizen, patriotic education is like the DNA of our immune system," she said.

"It gives us the ability to fend off external threats and neutralises splittist forces that infiltrate us. I think this is very important, and it's a long-term and daily task that cannot be neglected."


Edited by Priscilla Ng