Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu announced on Tuesday that the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government had rescued 18 Hong Kong passport holders who were trapped in notorious telecom scam hubs in Southeast Asia. In response to a recent uptick in the number of Hong Kong residents falling victim to telecom scams, the SAR government has been working to secure the release of another 10 victims. The rescue operation, which has been facilitated by the central government’s assistance, underscored the SAR government’s commitment to protect the safety of Hong Kong residents and ensure their well-being.

The central authorities supervising Hong Kong affairs, including the Hong Kong and Macao Work Office of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, and the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council, are concerned about the rising number of Hong Kong residents being lured to Southeast Asia under false pretenses and forced into illegal work, particularly telecom fraud activities. Early this month, Foreign Minister Wang Yi held a rare meeting with the envoys of Southeast Asian countries, and called on those countries to take strong measures to crack down on online gambling and telecom fraud in their region. He said those nations should shoulder their responsibilities in cracking down on fraudulent activities in their countries. He added that China is willing to strengthen cooperation with those countries in law enforcement and security to provide a safe environment in which people of all nations can travel.

Meanwhile, a task force led by Undersecretary for Security Michael Cheuk Hau-yip was sent to Thailand last week to coordinate with Thai authorities, China’s embassy and the HKSAR’s economy and trade office in Thailand in securing the release of Hong Kong residents trapped in the region. The mission contributed to the swift release of more than a dozen Hong Kong victims.

The rescue of the 18 Hong Kong residents was an extension of the China-led Operation Seagull against telecom fraud activities in Southeast Asia jointly conducted by the law enforcement authorities of China, Cambodia, Thailand, Laos and Myanmar from August to December.

The swift rescue operation aligns with the proactive governance philosophy the incumbent SAR administration has embraced, which can be seen in the slew of economic and livelihood endeavors implemented over the past couple of years

Operation Seagull, which included rescuing Hong Kong residents lured to and trapped in scam hubs in Southeast Asia, epitomized the central authorities’ commitment to protecting the safety and ensuring the well-being of all Chinese citizens. The joint law enforcement operation reportedly cracked down on 160 fraud groups operating in Southeast Asia, leading to the arrest of more than 70,000 fraudsters and criminals as well as rescuing more than 160 victims trapped in fraud hubs in that region.

This commitment has been witnessed whenever Chinese citizens were in danger overseas. Chinese authorities dispatched planes and ships to bring home citizens who were trapped in war zones in Africa and the Middle East, as well as in earthquake-stricken areas in New Zealand, to name just a few instances. The Chinese government’s swift rescue actions in the past have earned the admiration of victims from other countries, and Chinese citizens who were rescued and brought home in a timely manner during those events felt proud of their own country, believing that the motherland is a reliable safety net for them.

In the same spirit, the SAR government has taken swift action to rescue Hong Kong residents trapped in fraud hubs in Southeast Asia. According to John Lee, the task force dispatched by the HKSAR’s Security Bureau to Thailand had achieved a great deal of work to secure the return of 18 Hong Kong victims.

A multipronged approach has been taken by the SAR government in the wake of a resurgence in telecom fraud activities targeting Chinese, including Hong Kong residents — so far, the government has received 28 cases of Hong Kong residents being in trouble and seeking the government’s help. Actions taken by the government include launching comprehensive and in-depth investigations on reported cases of missing Hong Kong residents in Southeast Asia, seeking closer cooperation and collaboration with the authorities of those countries in rescuing the victims trapped in that region, issuing travel alerts against some countries out of concern for Hong Kong residents’ safety, and ensuring sufficient media exposure of the rampant telecom fraud activities to keep the public well-informed and vigilant.

The swift rescue operation aligns with the proactive governance philosophy the incumbent SAR administration has embraced, which can be seen in the slew of economic and livelihood endeavors implemented over the past couple of years.

The author is vice-chairman of the Committee on Liaison with Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan and Overseas Chinese of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference and chairman of the Hong Kong New Era Development Thinktank.

The views do not necessarily reflect those of China Daily.