HK food licenses to include national security clauses by Sept

All food business licenses in Hong Kong are expected to include clauses related to national security by September this year, according to the Secretary for Environment and Ecology Tse Chin-wan.

Tse said the move aims to strengthen the national security awareness of merchants and their employees through institutional constraints.

He added that this is part of the Environment and Ecology Bureau's strategy to extend national security responsibilities into social governance.

It follows the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department's (FEHD) decision last May to add national security clauses to license renewals, explicitly prohibiting business activities that endanger national security.

Tse also outlined a two-pronged approach to promoting national security education, targeting both internal civil servants and the public.

He said the bureau holds regular themed seminars internally to remind all staff, regardless of their position, to place national security at the forefront of their work and reinforce their sense of responsibility.

For the public and youth, Tse mentioned that the bureau has partnered with mainland authorities to launch a video series, which is widely broadcast in government headquarters, the Legislative Council, schools, and venues under the Environmental Protection Department.

The series aims to help the public understand the intrinsic link between ecological protection and national security, encouraging them to consciously safeguard both.