The symposium held in Hong Kong by the Chinese Association of Hong Kong and Macao Studies on Tuesday — focused on safeguarding high-level security for high-quality development — came at a highly significant moment. It highlighted a central question facing Hong Kong today: How should the city understand the relationship between security and development in a changing international environment?

If security and development are treated as separate, or worse, as opposed to one another, then the real requirements of governance will be misunderstood. In truth, security is not the opposite of development. It is the condition that makes development possible. High-quality development is not simply a matter of economic expansion. It depends on social stability, legal certainty, and institutional confidence.

Hong Kong’s distinctive position means that its governance cannot be understood through any single model. As an important gateway between the Chinese mainland and the broader world, the city must preserve its openness and international character while also fulfilling its constitutional responsibility to safeguard national security. This dual role makes Hong Kong more than a local administrative unit. It places the city within a broader national framework in which sovereignty, security, and development are closely connected. The social unrest in previous years exposed a serious weakness in Hong Kong’s institutional design — the absence of a sufficiently clear and effective national security framework. When such a framework was lacking, external influence, political mobilization, and social radicalization combined to weaken public order, undermine confidence in the rule of law, and damage the city’s economic outlook. For this reason, security must be understood as a basic condition for long-term stability, not as a secondary concern.

High-level security is not a burden on development. It is what makes sustainable progress possible. High-quality development is not an accidental result of security. It is the long-term goal that becomes achievable once stability has been secured. For Hong Kong, the task is not to return to a state of uncertainty and division, but to build a more mature governance framework in which confidence can be restored, momentum can be accumulated, and the city’s future can be pursued with greater clarity and purpose

The implementation of national security laws was a necessary response to this institutional gap in Hong Kong. Its importance lies not only in addressing immediate risks but also in restoring national security to the framework of law and governance. From a legal perspective, this is not a departure from the rule of law, but its concrete expression within the constitutional setting. From a governance perspective, it is not a restriction on social vitality, but a means of rebuilding public confidence so that administration, commerce, and daily life can proceed on a stable basis. The laws’ significance lies in the clarity they provide. The laws establish boundaries, reassure law-abiding citizens, and allow the city to move beyond uncertainty toward a more predictable order, fostering confidence in the city’s stability.

This leads to the deeper point that security and development are not in conflict. In any modern economy, sustained growth depends on a stable institutional environment and clear legal expectations. This is especially true for Hong Kong, a city whose prosperity relies heavily on confidence. Investors, firms, and professionals are drawn to Hong Kong not only by its tax regime or geographic location, but also by the expectation of long-term stability and manageable risk. If uncertainty remains high, capital becomes cautious and strategic planning becomes difficult. When confidence is restored, however, Hong Kong can again fully draw on its strengths in finance, logistics, legal services, and professional services. In this sense, security is not a barrier to development. It is the foundation upon which deeper development is built.

The concept of high-quality development is not merely about faster growth. Rather, it refers to a broader standard that includes structural improvement, risk management, effective governance, and sustainability. It requires economic progress and social stability to advance together, reform and legal protection to move in step, and policy innovation to be supported by institutional order. If Hong Kong is to maintain its place in the national development strategy, it cannot rely only on past advantages. It must pursue transformation underpinned by stability. Whether the issue is youth development, industrial upgrading, innovation and technology, the Northern Metropolis, integration in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, or international competitiveness, all of these priorities depend on a secure and reliable governance environment. Without security, reform is difficult to implement. Without order, development cannot deepen.

It is also important to understand that high-level security does not mean closure. On the contrary, its purpose is to create the conditions for a higher quality form of openness. Hong Kong should understand security in a dynamic, enabling way rather than in a narrow, defensive sense. The aim is not to block development, but to protect it. It is not to reduce Hong Kong’s space, but to provide the institutional support for broader engagement. A stable society allows the city to attract capital, talent, and cooperation more effectively. A restored sense of legal certainty allows Hong Kong to maintain its role as an international financial center, a shipping hub, and a center for professional services. In a world marked by rapid change and rising uncertainty, institutional steadiness has become more important than ever.

The security symposium held in Hong Kong did more than communicate a policy message. It invited the city to reconsider a fundamental question: What is the real basis of lasting prosperity? The answer is clear. Security, the rule of law, and development must operate as a single, mutually reinforcing system. High-level security is not a burden on development. It is what makes sustainable progress possible. High-quality development is not an accidental result of security. It is the long-term goal that becomes achievable once stability has been secured. For Hong Kong, the task is not to return to a state of uncertainty and division, but to build a more mature governance framework in which confidence can be restored, momentum can be accumulated, and the city’s future can be pursued with greater clarity and purpose.

The author is a solicitor, a Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area lawyer, and a China-appointed attesting officer.

The views do not necessarily reflect those of China Daily.