In a significant escalation of national security enforcement, China’s national security authorities and Hong Kong’s police have conducted their first publicly known joint operation under the 2020 Beijing-imposed national security law.

The raids took place on Thursday, June 12, 2025, targeting six individuals suspected of colluding with foreign forces to endanger national security, though the identities of the individuals and the organisation involved were not disclosed by officials.

Details of the Operation

According to the official statement from the Hong Kong Police, officers raided the homes of the suspects and also searched the office of the organisation believed to be involved. Authorities seized exhibits, including banking documents and electronic devices, for further investigation.

The six individuals were instructed to surrender their travel documents as part of the legal procedures.

The Hong Kong Police confirmed that the national security arm of Beijing stationed in the city had requested assistance from local law enforcement. This included arranging interviews with the suspects and collaborating on investigative steps, though specifics were withheld citing an ongoing investigation.

Beijing’s National Security Law and Its Expansion

The national security law, implemented by Beijing in June 2020, criminalises secession, subversion, terrorism, and collusion with foreign forces. The legislation was introduced following the widespread pro-democracy protests in 2019, which challenged both local and central Chinese authority.

Since the law's enactment, numerous activists, politicians, and organisations have been targeted. Critics argue it has decimated civil liberties in the semi-autonomous region, while Beijing and Hong Kong governments insist it was essential to restore order and stability.

Recent National Security Moves

In recent weeks, Hong Kong has intensified its national security efforts leading up to the fifth anniversary of the law:

• A mobile game application was targeted by authorities, who accused it of promoting armed revolution and secessionist sentiments

• Subsidiary legislation under the national security law came into force in May 2025, mandating public servants to provide “all necessary and reasonable assistance” to Beijing’s national security office when requested

This means that Hong Kong civil servants are now legally obligated to support investigations carried out by mainland Chinese security bodies stationed in the city, especially in cases involving special circumstances.

Second Charge Against Joshua Wong

The most prominent name resurfacing amid the renewed enforcement is Joshua Wong, a globally recognised pro-democracy activist.

Already serving a sentence after being convicted last year on subversion charges, Wong has now been charged a second time under the national security law for conspiring to collude with foreign forces.

This fresh charge, if proven, could result in life imprisonment, as per the legal maximum for the offence. Wong has been one of the most high-profile symbols of Hong Kong’s youth-led resistance since 2014.

Background: Hong Kong’s Legal Alignment with Beijing

In the years following the 2019 protests, Beijing has taken tighter control of Hong Kong through both legal and administrative means:

• The 2020 national security law allowed mainland Chinese officials to establish a national security office in the city

• The law also granted Beijing jurisdiction over some cases, especially when the alleged crime involves foreign entities or “complex” elements

• In 2024, Hong Kong passed its own localised version of a national security law, in parallel with the Beijing-imposed framework

• In May 2025, subsidiary rules were introduced, expanding cooperation mechanisms between Hong Kong authorities and Beijing’s security agents

China’s Broader Legislative Framework on Foreign Relations

The current operation and recent enforcement steps also come against the backdrop of China’s new foreign relations law, which enhances Beijing’s ability to monitor and regulate international interactions that it deems as harmful to national sovereignty or ideological security.

Legal experts suggest that the evolving legal environment will further blur the line between domestic and foreign jurisdiction in Hong Kong, especially in national security cases.

Reactions and Global Concerns

The joint operation is likely to intensify international scrutiny over China’s tightening grip on Hong Kong, particularly in Western democracies.

International human rights organisations have expressed concerns about due process, transparency, and the use of vaguely defined legal terms such as “collusion with foreign forces” to suppress free speech and activism.

Though no foreign governments have formally reacted to the Thursday raids yet, analysts expect statements from the US, UK, and EU, given their prior critiques of the 2020 law and its implications.

What Lies Ahead

With the fifth anniversary of the Beijing-imposed national security law approaching, more enforcement actions are expected.

Authorities in Hong Kong appear determined to send a strong message of zero tolerance towards any activities interpreted as threats to China’s sovereignty or security—digital, verbal, or organisational.

The identity of the organisation involved in the current case and the legal outcome for the six suspects will likely signal the next phase of Hong Kong’s evolving security regime.

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