Beijing’s ‘trust issue’ with Hong Kong and what the city can promise in its 5-year plan

Beijing’s ‘trust issue’ with Hong Kong and what the city can promise in its 5-year plan

Hong Kong’s openness is both a strength and a weakness, so it must build robust security frameworks to reap rewards of national development, experts say

Now would be the time to focus entirely on economic growth and downplay national security, some experts have argued, warning the issue could deter potential investors.

But that would be an erroneous and narrow understanding of national security, overlooking how inextricably it is tied to economic development, other insiders familiar with the government’s thinking have said.

The emphasis will be another clear rebuttal to detractors on why national security extends well beyond law enforcement or combating “soft resistance” efforts, and is the framework that ensures economic development can enhance value rather than expose vulnerabilities for the country.

Authorities are expected to lay institutional safeguards across key areas – most notably finance and technology among China’s 11 critical domains – to shield Hong Kong in its path to better support the country’s growth and its navigation of geopolitical risks.