Editor's note: Hao Shinan, a special commentator for CGTN, is an associate professor at the School of International Relations and Public Affairs, Shanghai International Studies University, and deputy secretary-general of the Shanghai Political Science Association. The article reflects the author's opinions and not necessarily the views of CGTN.

Standing on the waterfront of Hong Kong's Victoria Harbour today, you can feel that the vibrant special administration region (HKSAR) has returned.

Looking back to 2019, the riots that erupted in the region, ostensibly over a legislative proposal, were actually politicized from the outset, turning into a movement by extremist opposition parties backed by external actors to seize power. They opened a Pandora's box, enabling Western powers to intensify their geopolitical rivalry with China, and undermining the order established by China's Constitution and the Basic Law of HKSAR.

The violence reached its highest level since the city's return to China in 1997. Road blockades, arson, attacks on police officers, and even mob assaults on patriotic citizens went far beyond any reasonable political expression. The rioters sought support from anti-China politicians in the United States and other Western countries, exploited social grievances, and escalated social divisions into institutional and political confrontation, posing a direct threat to national security.

Ironically, some of the rioters argued that under the "One Country, Two Systems" framework, Hong Kong should be fundamentally separated from the mainland, and the violence they had incited should be regarded as a form of “freedom.”

However, "One Country, Two Systems" indicates that the principle of "One Country" always takes precedence, and a high degree of autonomy does not imply the "freedom" to engage in activities that endanger national security.

Once national security is compromised, social order becomes difficult to sustain, and Hong Kong's openness and social liberties cannot be maintained in any meaningful long-term sense, leading to the gradual erosion of its advantages.

Against this background, the implementation of the Hong Kong national security law in 2020 marked a turning point. Furthermore, in March 2024, Hong Kong completed local legislation under Article 23 of the Basic Law, and the Safeguarding National Security Ordinance came into force. Together, the two form a complete legal framework for safeguarding national security in HKSAR.

The purpose of this two-tired legal framework is not to restrict the lawful rights and freedoms of residents, but to target criminal acts that endanger national security while protecting the city's social order, rule of law and conditions for development.

More importantly, this framework has reduced the space for the recurrence of large-scale unrests. In the past, some actors were able to incite hostility under the guise of peaceful demonstration. Today, the legal boundaries are clearer, the basis for law enforcement is stronger, and penalties are more stringent.

This two-tiered framework is designed not only to curb extremist violence itself, but also to dismantle the organizational networks, financial support, propaganda and external intervention that sustain it.

Under the new legal framework for safeguarding national security, Hong Kong has experienced a marked recovery. In 2025, it ranked third globally in Switzerland-based business school International Institute for Management Development's World Competitiveness Ranking and also placed third worldwide, and first in the Asia-Pacific region, in the Global Financial Centres Index.

Total deposits in authorized institutions increased by 11.8%, while initial public offerings reached HK$286.9 billion (around $36.67 billion), the highest globally. If Hong Kong had indeed lost its vitality or attractiveness as a result of its strengthened national security legal framework, as some observers have suggested, such sustained capital inflows and listing activities are difficult to explain.

From this perspective, HKSAR's national security legal framework is more than a short-term legal response to the unrest of 2019. More fundamentally, it serves as a safeguard for the sustained implementation of the "One Country, Two Systems," and also for Hong Kong's long-term prosperity and stability. It safeguards Hong Kong's business environment and finally, the everyday lives of ordinary residents.

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