National Security and Legal Education Research Centre (NSLERC) Hosts Seminar on "Customs Safeguarding National Security"

November 7, 2025  - The National Security and Legal Education Research Centre (NSLERC) at The Education University of Hong Kong (EdUHK) is honored to invite Professor Wang Liying from Shanghai Customs University to deliver a seminar on "Customs Safeguarding National Security." The seminar brought together approximately 50 participants, including EdUHK students and staff.

Professor Wang Liying is currently a law professor and master's supervisor at Shanghai Customs University and is recognized as an authoritative expert in China PRC’s customs law research. With extensive experience in Public Security Administrative Law, Customs Administrative Law, and Jurisprudence, Professor Wang has led numerous provincial-level research projects and published extensively, providing a solid theoretical and practical foundation for this seminar.

Border Security: The "Frontline Defense" in the National Security System

In her opening address, Professor Wang provided a macro-level analysis of the intrinsic link between national and border security. She emphasized that while national security serves the fundamental goal of protecting sovereignty and social stability, the nation’s borders represent the first and most critical line of defense against external threats.

She pointed out that customs and immigration authorities are indispensable “key enforcers” of national security policies, tasked with preventing terrorism and transnational crime, intercepting diseases and harmful organisms, combating smuggling, and screening harmful cultural products. Professor Wang vividly stated, “National security is the body, while border security is the shield. They are interdependent and inseparable.”

Four Core Pillars

In the subsequent in-depth session, Professor Wang analyzed four core topics based on her academic expertise and practical experience:

1. Definitions and relationships between national security and border security
2. The modernization of port functions and customs duties
3. Balancing openness and security (with HKSAR and Hainan as examples)
4. Technology-driven customs: building and applying smart customs systems

This seminar not only provided participants a valuable opportunity to hear cutting-edge perspectives directly, enhancing their understanding of national security strategy, but also fostered academic exchange and collaboration between HKSAR and Chinese Mainland in the fields of customs law and border security governance. Participants expressed that they gained valuable insights and a more comprehensive understanding of contemporary border security.