A joint operation by Beijing’s national security arm in Hong Kong and the city’s police could be the first step in an investigation into an unusually complex collusion case that is ultimately handed over to mainland Chinese authorities, observers have said.
The investigation is the first publicly known cooperation between the two sides and comes just weeks after the city passed legislation supplementing the domestic national security law aimed at allowing the Beijing office to better carry out its duties.
The force cited the new law in “reminders” it sent to the Post and other media outlets on Friday saying that disclosing any information related to individuals or organisations linked to the investigation could be an offence.
The government announced on Thursday that six people and an organisation were suspected of colluding with a foreign country or with external elements to endanger national security between November 2020 and June 2024.
The statement said Beijing’s Office for Safeguarding National Security, with its director’s approval, had requested assistance and support from the city’s national security police in arranging interviews with the people involved.
But it provided no other details, such as personal information about the individuals or the nature of the organisations involved, the date of the interviews and whether any arrests had been made.
