Hong Kong police must remain vigilant against national security risks and root out threats at the earliest stages, the city’s national security police chief has told new recruits to the force.
Police gathered outside the West Kowloon Law Courts Building on Friday, September 11, 2026 ahead of the sentencing of Tiananmen vigil activists Chow Hang-tung, Lee Cheuk-yan, and Albert Ho. Photo: Kyle Lam/HKFP.“Oftentimes, hidden dangers lurk in every corner of our communities,” national security department director Andrew Kan warned in Cantonese at a passing-out parade for 17 probationary officers and 110 recruit constables at the Police College on Saturday.
Kan told the graduates that “national security challenges have become more invisible,” cautioning them to stay on guard against “external forces,” “soft resistance,” and “ideological infiltration,” without providing examples of these, according to an official readout.
The term “soft resistance” was first mentioned in 2021 in a speech by Luo Huining, then-director of Beijing’s liaison office in Hong Kong. Since then, Hong Kong officials have cited “soft resistance” as a threat to national security, although they have not provided a clear definition of the term.
“During your daily patrols and case handling, you must always be vigilant, think ahead, and keenly identify threats to nip national security risks in the bud,” Kan added.
‘Undercurrents everywhere’Speaking to the press after the ceremony, Commissioner of Police Joe Chow warned of hidden risks despite the calm environment.
From left: Lee Cheuk-yan, Albert Ho, Chow Hang-tung. Photos: HKFP.“While the overall social atmosphere may appear peaceful, we often say that there are still undercurrents everywhere,” Chow said in Cantonese, responding to a question about the sentencing of Tiananmen vigil organisers Chow Hang-tung, Lee Cheuk-yan, and Albert Ho the day before.
The now-defunct Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China, which they led, held annual vigils to commemorate the Tiananmen crackdown until the gatherings were banned beginning in 2020.
The Tiananmen crackdown occurred on June 4, 1989, ending months of student-led demonstrations in China. It is estimated that hundreds, perhaps thousands, died when the People’s Liberation Army cracked down on protesters in Beijing.
The police chief said “a small number of people are still eager to incite others’ hatred,” citing the arrests of three people who chanted slogans outside Prince Edward MTR station on August 31.
Hong Kong Police Commissioner Joe Chow on December 3, 2025. Photo: Kyle Lam/HKFP.See also: ‘People will be shocked and angry’: Relatives, friends of jailed Tiananmen activists decry ‘unjust’ sentences
The trio, which included a former pro-democracy district councillor, were arrested by national security police for alleged sedition. They had gathered to mark the anniversary of a 2019 incident in which police stormed MTR trains as the anti-extradition protests were taking place.
“We cannot afford to let our guard down,” Chow said.
He added, however, that there is “no red line” for public assemblies in the city, and that police would evaluate factors including public safety and national security risks in approving demonstrations.
‘Ordinary democratic activities’The sentencing of the Tiananmen activists has drawn criticism from overseas human rights groups, who have expressed concerns about what they call a setback to the city’s freedom of expression.
The Tiananmen vigil in Victoria Park on June 4, 2019. File photo: Holmes Chan/HKFP.Elaine Pearson, the Asia director of NGO Human Rights Watch, said the three were punished for “ordinary democratic activities,” while Amnesty International said the sentencing “denies generations of Hongkongers the space to discuss one of the most consequential events in modern Chinese history.”
The government hit back on Saturday, calling the comments “attacks, smears and slanders.”
Human rights are “robustly guaranteed” in Hong Kong, authorities said in a lengthy statement, adding that the city would suffer if not for “this strong legal barrier to bring criminals to justice.”
Chow Hang-tung and Lee have already been held in detention for around five years, while Ho has been remanded in custody for three years and six months.