The Hong Kong Police Force. Photo: Fan Lingzhi/Global Times

The Hong Kong Police Force (HKPF) gained over 2 million of followers on Douyin within 24 hours after it debuted on the Chinese short-video social media platform on Sunday, and its first video gained more than 73 million views, showing the widely shared appreciation for the HKPF in the Chinese mainland. Some netizens praised it as being a “movie-like scene.” 

The HKPF launched its official account on Douyin in order to enhance engagement with the public in Hong Kong, the Chinese mainland and other regions, particularly the younger generation, the HKPF said. 

Through its official Douyin account, the HKPF hopes to enable more effective dissemination of anti-scam and anti-crime messages, and showcase its positive image and share the police’s good stories with the public.

The first short video posted, led by Hong Kong police chief Raymond Siu Chak-yee, received a wide range of appreciation from Chinese netizens. In the first 24 hours, the short film was played more than 73.4 million times, received 2.72 million likes, and the daily increase of fans reached nearly 2 million. 

It attracted the attention of a large number of netizens in the mainland. In less than 24 hours, it attracted 220,000 comments. “I thought it was a movie,” a netizen said. “Welcome to Douyin. HKPF officers are so cool, and thanks for your efforts.” 

It was expected that the HKPF’s Douyin account would come under the public spotlight, Lam Chi-wai, chairman of the Junior Police Officers' Association, told the Global Times on Tuesday. 

With the rapid rise of short video platforms in recent years, the HKPF has taken the opportunity to distribute practical and diversified information to the public in the form of creative short videos to cater to public tastes, Lam said. 

The HKPF has been the backbone in safeguarding the city's stability, especially during the social turmoil of 2019. Their hard work has received support from people in the mainland. 

On Monday, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Chief Executive John Lee also saw his followers on Sina Weibo surpass 5 million. Since the account was opened on July 1 in 2022, Lee has been sharing his daily work and life and introducing Hong Kong through the platform. 

By connecting with the public through social media, the HKSAR government has been making efforts to tell Hong Kong stories in innovative way, observers said.