Fruitful year followed Xi’s visit: DAB chief

The chairwoman of Hong Kong’s largest political party on Tuesday said the city has achieved fruitful outcomes in the year following President Xi Jinping’s inspection tour last July.

There has been more goodwill and willingness across the city to put aside differences and work together for Hong Kong’s future, creating a sound social environment for the special administrative region government to devise and carry out its policies, according to Starry Lee Waiking, chairwoman of the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong.

A good indicator of the positive changes is improved relations between the SAR government and the city’s Legislative Council, Lee told reporters.

Noting the relationship between the government and the legislature has become “smoother” than before, she said lawmakers from across the political spectrum had more opportunities to communicate with Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor.

Lee was referring to the additional question and answer sessions Lam attended in LegCo. In addition to the routine four CE Q&A sessions, lawmakers could also raise questions during monthly 30-minute meetings Lam had initiated.

Lee said effective communication had improved the efficiency of LegCo meetings, letting the Finance Committee grant more funds for construction projects this year. This also helped with the passing of the express rail link co-location bill, which had been deliberated on for a lengthy period, the DAB leader added.

Challenges still remain, she stressed. One is home prices. Lee urged the government to do more to restrain property inflation as housing is the “top priority” among livelihood issues.

Another challenge is the city’s industry structure — which has long relied on the service industry without new features added in, despite many resources having been invested in science and innovation, Lee said.

The Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, with abundant land resources and more options, may help deal with the challenges, she added.

There has been more goodwill and willingness across the city to put aside differences and work together for Hong Kong’s future.”

Starry Lee Wai-king,