This March 12, 2021 photo shows the exterior of the headquarters of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government and the Legislative Council in Hong Kong. (LI GANG / XINHUA)
HONG KONG – As the commencement date for the seventh-term Legislative Council (LegCo) of China's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region approaches, lawmakers-elect vowed to enhance Hong Kong's sound governance.
The new LegCo will commence on Jan 1 and HKSAR Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor will administer the oath for its members on Jan 3.
Lam said earlier that she is confident that the seventh-term LegCo can effectively enhance the governance efficiency of the HKSAR.
She said she hoped to cooperate with the members of the new LegCo to promote Hong Kong's economic development, its integration into the overall development of the country, and improve people's livelihoods, so as to build a better Hong Kong.
Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor said she hoped to cooperate with the members of the new LegCo to promote Hong Kong's economic development, its integration into the overall development of the country, and improve people's livelihoods, so as to build a better Hong Kong
Ninety members of the Hong Kong legislature, elected by the Election Committee constituency, the functional constituencies, and the geographical constituencies, are ready to get down to business. Xinhua interviewed several lawmakers-elect with different backgrounds to learn about their vision and plans.
Problem Solver
Zhang Xinyu won a seat from the New Territories North geographical constituency without having any experience in politics. Born and raised in the Chinese mainland, Zhang finished higher education and developed his career in Hong Kong. He is a station manager of public transport operator MTR Corporation.
Zhang, known as being pragmatic and solution-oriented, believed that Hong Kong residents who are tired of the vicious political battles in the past have voted for the interests of the whole society and the development of the next generation in the seventh-term LegCo election on Dec 19.
As a directly elected LegCo member, Zhang pledges to bring the concerns of New Territories North voters to the new LegCo and actively promote the development of the region. Issues over the construction of the Northern Metropolis are among his top concerns.
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According to Lam’s 2021 policy address, Hong Kong will develop a new metropolis in its northern part, which adjoins the boomtown of Shenzhen in neighboring Guangdong province, to accommodate 2.5 million people and better integrate the financial hub into the overall development of the country.
It is hoped that policy resources will be tilted towards the New Territories North to make up for the gaps in local infrastructure development. Zhang said he looks forward to establishing a mutually beneficial relationship between land release, housing, and industrial development and the well-being of local residents.
Super-connector
Under Hong Kong's improved electoral system, a new functional constituency has been created for the LegCo election. The name of the group is HKSAR deputies to the National People's Congress (NPC), HKSAR members of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference and representatives of relevant national organizations.
Chan Yung has served two terms as an HKSAR deputy to the NPC, China's top legislature. He won the only seat for the new constituency and wants to serve as a super-connector between central authorities' policies and Hong Kong residents.
To that end, he said he wants to better expound and explain the central government's overall planning and favorable policies for Hong Kong to the LegCo and local communities.
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Chan also looks forward to serving as a bridge between the expectations of Hong Kong residents and the central authorities, and facilitating communication between Hong Kong and the Chinese mainland.
Only by taking the initiative to fully integrate into the overall development of the country can Hong Kong gain better development opportunities, he said.
Development Booster
Ophthalmologist Lam Shun-chiu won a seat in the Election Committee constituency. He said he is happy to have the opportunity to serve Hong Kong and the country, but at the same time he also felt a heavy responsibility.
He said he would conduct in-depth discussions in the LegCo on issues such as housing, wealth gap, healthcare, and integration into the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.
"The Greater Bay Area will certainly take off in the future; Hong Kong must be integrated into the area and the overall national development," said Lam, who began tapping into the regional opportunities to grow his business in 2013.
The lawmaker-elect said he wants to serve as an example of success in leveraging the Greater Bay Area to encourage more Hong Kong residents to prosper in mainland cities of the GBA.
"I am very confident that the new LegCo will promote good governance and open a new page in the history of the HKSAR," he said.