The number of crimes-deemed incidents related to the amendment of Hong Kong's Fugitive Offenders Ordinance and the Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters Ordinance decreased by 25 percent in 2020 compared with 2019, Police Commissioner of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Chris Tang Ping-keung said on Tuesday.

A total of 97 people have been arrested by the police so far for being suspected of violating national security law, and eight people have been charged, said Tang.

He said safeguarding national security is the force's top priority this year, adding that officials will step up intelligence gathering to stamp out such threats.