China Extends Annual Cybersecurity Campaign to Hong Kong and Macau

A map of China is seen through a magnifying glass on a computer screen showing binary digits on Jan. 2, 2014. Edgar Su/File Photo/Reuters

For the first time, China has included Hong Kong and Macau in its annual nationwide awareness campaign on cybersecurity, another name for internet control in China.

Analysts see the move as part of broader efforts to increase online control in the former British and Portuguese territories to the same level of censorship in the mainland.

On Sept. 9, Hong Kong, Macau, and mainland China’s Guangdong Province signed an agreement to strengthen cybersecurity cooperation. The memorandum of understanding governs how digital personal information will flow in and out of the mainland.

Two months ago, a new digital policy office opened in Hong Kong to align the region’s digital policies more closely with those of mainland China.

The cybersecurity awareness campaign, officially known as “China Cybersecurity Week,” is a state-run event that promotes the Chinese Communist Party’s vision for the internet. The Atlantic Council, a Washington-based think tank, calls the vision “community watch” and an approach that makes the virtual world safe for authoritarian regimes.

The campaign introduces new surveillance technologies and censorship methodologies through forums, seminars, and exhibitions across China. This year’s events, taking place from Sept. 9 to 15 in mainland China, started two days earlier in Hong Kong and Macau.

Critics view this as a step toward expanding state surveillance in Hong Kong and Macau, much like what has already been implemented in mainland China.

U.S.-based political commentator Lan Shu described it as an extension of Beijing’s methods of control, which are already deeply entrenched in mainland provinces. “The CCP’s ideological shift to the left has intensified the suppression of speech in Hong Kong and Macau,” Lan told NTD, The Epoch Times’ sister TV network.

Human rights lawyer Wu Shaoping echoed these concerns, highlighting the surge in surveillance technology in Hong Kong. “The streets of Hong Kong are now filled with surveillance cameras, and online speech is increasingly monitored,” Wu told NTD. “Many Hong Kong citizens have been accused of ‘endangering national security’ simply for speaking out online.”

Wu warned that as Beijing tightens its grip on Hong Kong and Macau, cyber surveillance will only escalate. “It’s possible that international platforms like Facebook and YouTube could eventually be blocked or banned,” he said, alluding to China’s infamous Great Firewall, which restricts access to global websites.

The new round of the annual cybersecurity campaign, now in its 10th year, comes amid growing opposition to a “National Internet ID System” proposed in late July, which would require internet users to verify their identities before accessing online services.

Critics said the system could stifle creativity and personal freedom by enabling surveillance of citizens’ online activities. Despite widespread backlash from prominent scholars, the system remains part of a larger strategy to strengthen state control over the internet.

Last month, two professors at Tsinghua University questioned whether the plan was internet censorship in disguise. Their posts were swiftly deleted, and their social media accounts were muted for “violating regulations.”

Despite initial plans, officials have appeared to backtrack after overwhelming public criticism. A Ministry of Public Security official announced on Aug. 27 that the existing online identity verification system would remain in place, allowing users to access the internet without adopting the new ID system—for now.

While the National Internet ID System may temporarily be put on hold, the CCP’s push for online control persists.

On Sept. 3, officials met in Urumqi, Xinjiang, to coordinate efforts to combat “online rumors,” seen as a way to suppress free speech. Similarly, the China Internet Civilization Conference on Aug. 28 reinforced the regime’s commitment to shaping online discourse in line with party objectives.

Shawn Lin contributed to this report.