NPCSC membership great honor, responsibility: Tam

Newly elected as Hong Kong’s sole National People’s Congress Standing Committee deputy, Tam Yiuchung feels “honored” to be in the post.

He vows to “serve as a bridge” between the people of Hong Kong and the central government by reflecting the city’s people’s views at a national level.

Tam, 69, served as member of the nation’s top political advisory body — the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference — for three terms; 15 years.

A new rule requiring CPPCC members aged 68 or older to retire led Tam to focus on the NPC election last year.

After being elected as one of the 36 Hong Kong deputies to the NPC, people encouraged him to aim higher — the NPCSC.

Tam retired as chairman of the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong, the city’s biggest political party in terms of membership and number of lawmakers, in 2015; he left the legislature a year later. Tam said he has more time to devote to national affairs.

“As a CPPCC member, the workload was not heavy because it was mainly an advisory role. Yet according to the new age rule, I had to go and so I joined the NPC election,” he told China Daily.

“This is a great honor and at the same time comes a huge responsibility to become a member of the NPCSC, as there are totally 175 NPCSC members and Hong Kong has only one seat.

“Under the leadership of President Xi Jinping, China practices a type of socialism with Chinese characteristics and is pursuing its goals of ‘Two Centenaries’.

“It is very meaningful to be part of the process as we are at the turning point of China’s development in a new era.”

Tam said NPCSC members’ work is quite demanding as it covers legislation, law amendments, monitoring the government, appointment of officials and interpretations of Basic Law provisions.

He also has other commitments; apart from media interviews, he has received more invitations to join or officiate at public functions. People from business, cultural and social-welfare sectors want to talk to him about the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area plan.

“Some mainland members of the NPCSC are eager to know more about Hong Kong’s current affairs. Therefore, I need to prepare well and reflect the views of Hong Kong people to the NPCSC,” he said.

Tam speaks highly of predecessor Rita Fan Hsu Laitai, who held the post for the past 10 years. When he was appointed to the NPCSC on March 19, they met the media and shook hands to mark the handover.

Fan’s tenure saw such controversies as interpretation of the Basic Law provisions and the “August 31” (2014) constitutional framework by the NPCSC.

“The central government

Tam Yiu-chung,

is reluctant to interpret the Basic Law and will only do so to help Hong Kong resolve problems it can’t solve,” he explained. “As for the August 31 decision, it was never implemented because Hong Kong’s Legislative Council vetoed the electoral reform package, defying over 50 percent of public support.

“Society must first reach a consensus on whether to accept the August 31 framework in order to reopen electoral reform,” he stressed.

“If there is a consensus in society and among various political parties, they may inform the SAR government who will in turn propose to the central government,” Tam said.

“Yet, I don’t see this will happen because those who opposed it have not said openly they will back it now.”