Hong Kong’s security minister has said the city currently faces four primary risks to its national security, with soft resistance being one of the most significant threats.
Speaking on a radio programme on Saturday, Secretary for Security Chris Tang Ping-keung also said the police national security hotline had drawn 1.1 million reports since its inception in November 2020, with some leading to arrests.
“Due to geopolitics, the risk of some external forces wanting to negatively influence Hong Kong, or our country through Hong Kong, exists. These risks have also not diminished,” Tang said, adding that the city faced four primary threats to national security.
One of the most significant threats was “soft resistance”, in which people used fake news or information to incite dissatisfaction against the Hong Kong government or stir up conflict among residents.
“This is extremely harmful,” Tang said. “Soft resistance uses problems that seem to be insignificant, simple societal or livelihood issues, where fake news or information is used to stir discontent towards the government.”
The security chief cited the example of the Wang Fuk Court blaze, in which some falsely claimed that authorities had prepared to deploy riot police against the estate’s residents or that first responders did not have enough protective equipment.
“You can see that with any societal topic, there will be some people hoping to stir up conflicts around them,” he said, urging residents to listen to government clarifications and seek out true facts.
