New NPC deputies urged to drive cooperation
Hong Kong’s new deputies-elect to the nation’s top legislature should stay united and serve as role models in pushing forward Hong Kong-mainland cooperation and development, 12th National People’s Congress Standing Committee ViceChairman Wang Chen said on Tuesday.
Wang was speaking after 36 deputies, including 11 new faces, had been elected to represent the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region in the 13th NPC during the city’s fifth twice-a-decade election.
Affirming the open, fair and just manner of the election, Wang hoped the deputies-elect could unite and promote exchanges, cooperation and development between Hong Kong and the mainland.
Wang said he believed the elected deputies would inherit the tradition of loving the country and Hong Kong. They should also defend the Constitution and the Basic Law, support the “One Country, Two Systems” principle earnestly, carry out duties of deputies and contribute to building a brighter future for Hong Kong and the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.
Wang also anticipates the deputies-elect will care for the city’s youth and be role models in supporting the SAR government in administering the city in accordance with the law.
Voters re-elected 25 deputies; the 11 new faces include the city’s former secretary for constitutional and mainland affairs Raymond Tam Chi-yuen and singer-turned politician Cally Kwong Mei-wan.
Also among the new deputies-elect are Tam Yiu-chung, member of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, and Maggie Chan Manki, founding president of the Small and Medium Law Firms Association of Hong Kong.
Former independent nonexecutive director of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange Vincent Lee Kwan-ho had 1,594 votes, the highest among the 11 newly elected members.
The polls drew 1,753 valid ballots cast by members of Hong Kong’s 13th NPC electoral council comprising 1,989 voters from across sectors. Bernard Charnwut Chan, convener of the Executive Council, garnered another term by earning 1,693 votes. This was highest among all deputies-elect.
The 36 deputies-elect commence their five-year terms next year, subject to final approval from the NPC Standing Committee.
As closer ties are seen between Hong Kong and the mainland, Bernard Chan took it as his responsibility to speak for the city and safeguard the national interest. He thought Hong Kong NPC deputies could represent a wide political spectrum in the city.
Commenting on the election results, Lau Siu-kai, vicechairman of the Chinese Association of Hong Kong and Macao Studies and an electoral council member, said the result indicated the new faces, most of whom were young professionals, were expected to develop greater political influence.
Voters on Tuesday elected the 36 deputies of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region to the 13th National People’s Congress, scheduled to convene in Beijing next year. It is safe to say the 13th NPC meeting will be of great importance to Hong Kong because it will deliberate over and pass new laws or amendments to existing ones as well as the Government Work Report; this will directly concern the HKSAR. It will be a particularly important NPC session because the nation is waiting for a detailed blueprint for all-round development in the coming years toward the goals set by the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, the country’s ruling party. It will pave the way for Hong Kong to further integrate its own development into the nation’s overall development. Understandably, Hong Kong society expects the NPC deputies-elect to do their best in fulfilling their responsibilities.
The NPC is the highest institution of State power of the People’s Republic of China, of which Hong Kong is an inalienable part. NPC deputies are lawmakers representing society and therefore must be model citizens of the PRC to begin with. As such they are expected to set an example for all Chinese citizens residing in the HKSAR in upholding the Constitution of the PRC and protecting the nation’s sovereignty, security and development interests. They are accountable to not just Hong Kong society but also the rest of the nation. That is why they must always keep in mind that Hong Kong’s well-being is firmly linked to the nation’s and serving national interests is just as important as serving Hong Kong’s interests, if not more so.
The “one country, two systems” principle is the constitutional lifeline for Hong Kong to thrive as a capitalist economy alongside the mainland’s socialist economy. As the national economy continues to grow and plays an increasingly significant role in the world there is no choice for Hong Kong but to integrate its own development into the nation’s overall development as much as possible. To do so it must fully and accurately implement the “one country, two systems” principle and stand firmly against all forms of separatism, particularly “Hong Kong independence” and “self-determination”. Naturally NPC deputies are always expected to be in the forefront when it comes to fighting against separatism. As a matter of fact, the disqualification of several individuals with separatist backgrounds as candidates in the NPC deputy election perfectly demonstrates what NPC deputies must never do.
The 36 NPC deputies-elect represent Hong Kong but their work concerns the whole nation, which is why they must be able to see the “big picture” instead of the SAR alone. After all, they are members of the national legislature and must prove to the whole nation, including the HKSAR, they are worthy of the people’s trust.