The use of the city’s HK$13 billion national security budget is not disclosed in order to prevent people “guessing” what the government’s national security work entails, Hong Kong Secretary for Security Chris Tang has said.
Tang’s response came after he was asked about the details of the budget in an interview with iCable news aired on Sunday.
The sum represents the total budget earmarked for the city’s national security work since the enactment of the Beijing-imposed law in June 2020.
The government first allocated HK$8 billion in December 2020. The allocation of an additional HK$5 billion was revealed in May this year.
Since the allocation of the taxpayers’ money for national security purposes, the government has yet to disclose any details on how the funds have been used. However, the security chief said that work combating the endangerment of national security has to be confidential, including the expenditure.
“Because combating the endangerment of national security is important and confidential… all details relating to national security in society will not be disclosed, including the expenditure,” said Tang in Cantonese.
He added that if the government were to disclose how national security funds were spent, people would know the nature of the work that went into combatting security risks, “and this is disadvantageous towards national security.”
The secretary for security also refused to say whether the government had used up the budget, or whether the administration would allocate more funds.
“I think the intricacy is that you won’t know when I have used up [the funds], or how much I have used – we will reapply when there is a need,” said Tang.
“It is to prevent others from guessing and attacking our national security work.”
In June 2020, Beijing inserted national security legislation directly into Hong Kong’s mini-constitution – bypassing the local legislature – following a year of pro-democracy protests and unrest.
It criminalised subversion, secession, collusion with foreign forces and terrorist acts, which were broadly defined to include disruption to transport and other infrastructure.
The move gave police sweeping new powers, alarming democrats, civil society groups and trade partners, as such laws have been used broadly to silence and punish dissidents in China. However, the authorities say it has restored stability and peace to the city.
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