When I was a student, national security meant defending our motherland against foreign invasions. It seemed simple: Once military and homeland security are guaranteed, everything else would follow — people could live and work in peace, businesses could thrive, professionals could blossom.

But the challenges Hong Kong has endured over the past decade shattered that simplicity and awakened us to a sobering truth: National security is not one-dimensional. It is multidimensional, complex, and inseparable from every aspect of our lives.

China is vast, but nowhere in China is the need for this new awakening more immediate and relevant than in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. As China’s most international city, the HKSAR is more open to external influence, and thus more exposed to external threats than anywhere else in the country.

For Hong Kong, defending national security is not about closing ourselves off. It is about fortifying Hong Kong’s role as the world’s superconnector and international center for trade, finance, cultural exchanges, aviation, and shipping.

Historically, Hong Kong has been affected by severe international geopolitical tensions. During the British administration, Hong Kong served as the West’s base for “China watching”. A popular saying among the Western intelligence communities at the time was, “If you want to know what’s happening in China, ask the US consulate general in Hong Kong.” Today, as a special administrative region of China, Hong Kong is no longer a Western observation outpost, but stands firmly on the front line in defense of national security.

A year ago, I studied our nation’s “holistic approach to national security”. It has 20 domains, ranging from political and military security to cybersecurity, financial security, ecological security, food security, and cultural security, etc. Political security leads the list for a reason. We know the cost of letting it slip: paralysis in our legislature and violence on our streets. Only through the National Security Law did order and stability return.

Some in Hong Kong still have the misconception that national security is the responsibility of government agencies alone. That is a dangerous fallacy. The multidimensional nature of national security requires that everybody has a part to play in defending it because without security, there is no economy, no innovation, no future. Without security, people cannot access education, health, housing, and transport. Security is not the enemy of freedom; it is its precondition.

This is particularly true because today’s students, unlike me, are not the awakened generation. They are the generation born awake. And in their hands, Hong Kong’s progress will not just be secured; it is unstoppable

Entrepreneurs, in particular, need this awakening. No security, no overseas markets. No stability, no global trade. National security must be factored into their business models, from capital movements and data flows, to artificial intelligence development and cybersecurity.

Chinese companies listed in the US that are being put into a tough situation have learned the hard way: National security is not optional. It is existential.

Entrepreneurs are not just defenders of security; they can be builders of national security by investing in Hong Kong. In a world battered by tariffs and sanctions, Hong Kong’s unrivaled international reach, stability, and predictability offer both local and overseas entrepreneurs ample opportunities. The Economist sees it: The growing US-China decoupling may reverse Hong Kong’s recent commercial decline.

For cultural security, a core area is strengthening our voice on the global stage. Again, every Hong Kong resident has a part to play.

Ideas infiltrate faster than armies and narratives shape minds. Our efforts in promoting Chinese history and culture, the SAR government’s setting up of the Chinese Culture Promotion Office, and our policies in promoting cultural exchanges with the world will help enhance national identity and nurture cultural confidence among future generations. This is the best defense for cultural security.

As even leading US universities such as Harvard, hailed as bastions of open thought, are coming under political pressure, we are presented with added opportunities to develop Hong Kong as an international education hub that champions diversity and cultural inclusiveness.

Because of Hong Kong’s culture and history, we woke up late to the era of multidimensional national security. But given the city’s vibrancy and resilience, once we wake up, we don’t simply catch up. We dash forward and lead.

This is particularly true because today’s students, unlike me, are not the awakened generation. They are the generation born awake. And in their hands, Hong Kong’s progress will not just be secured; it is unstoppable.

The author is president of Our Hong Kong Foundation.

The views do not necessarily reflect those of China Daily.