Hong Kong Budgets HK$5 Billion Extra for National Security Fund

Hong Kong set aside an extra HK$5 billion ($640 million) for a special national security fund.

(Bloomberg) — Hong Kong set aside an extra HK$5 billion ($640 million) for a special national security fund.

The money will be allocated this year for the maintenance of national security, according to a government document published Friday. The government said in 2021 that it had set aside HK$8 billion for that fund.

Beijing pushed through a Hong Kong national security law in June 2020, which abruptly ended the mass anti-government protests that had been roiling the city. Since then, more than 200 people have been arrested by the national security police — including former opposition lawmakers and journalists. Several media outlets and civic groups have disbanded amid concerns about receding freedoms in Hong Kong.

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