Secretary for Labour and Welfare Chris Sun Yuk-han on Saturday called on labor sector’s concerted efforts to safeguard national security in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.

In his opening remarks at the Seminar on National Security for Trade Unions, Sun also urged labor unions to seize the opportunities provided by the nation's 15th Five-Year Plan, and help contribute Hong Kong's strengths to the country's development.

The 15th Five-Year Plan clearly states the need to strengthen national security education and "fortify the defensive line in people", Sun said.

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He added that apart from the establishment of solid institutional safeguards, every individual and institution must also have the commitment to national security.

Sun noted that the successful conclusion of the eighth-term Legislative Council General Election last year, which fully implemented the principle of "patriots administering Hong Kong", was a crucial realization of strengthening national security.

The voter turnout rate in the functional constituency of the labor sector was nearly 90 percent, fully reflecting the proactiveness of the sector in safeguarding the country, he added.

According to the Hong Kong National Security Law, the HKSAR shall promote national security education through social organizations, including trade unions, to raise national security awareness among Hong Kong residents.

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​The seminar, which attracted around 420 participants on-site and online, was organzied by the Registry of Trade Unions of the Labour Department with the Hong Kong Federation of Trade Unions and the Federation of Hong Kong and Kowloon Labour Unions.

The event featured exchanges of measures taken by the labor sector to safeguard national security, contributing to the security and development of the country and the SAR.