Marking the fifth anniversary of the national security law, top Beijing official Xia Baolong says Hong Kong may have come far, but warns of challenges ahead
The fifth anniversary of Hong Kong’s national security law was marked yesterday with a high-level forum that reflected on the past but looked to the future.
Xia Baolong, Beijing’s top official overseeing the city’s affairs, recognised the progress Hong Kong has made since 2020, noting it had entered a new stage of development. But he warned this is a critical period for the city, which needs to adapt, seize opportunities and rise to new challenges.
Xia’s five-day visit has included meetings with officials, politicians, business leaders, universities and foreign chambers of commerce.
It is an important trip. When the national security law was passed by China’s legislature, Hong Kong was a different place, facing unprecedented difficulties. Months-long anti-government protests in 2019 rocked the city.
