THANKS TO THE changes in the electoral system and the ensuring of patriots administering Hong Kong, the newly elected Chief Executive John Lee has a clear policy vision. He is taking a results-oriented approach to resolve Hong Kong’s deep-rooted problems.
After the official appointment of Principal Officials of the sixth-term Government of HKSAR from the Central People’s Government, Mr Lee expressed his heartfelt gratitude to the leadership for accepting and approving the nominations made by him in accordance with the Basic Law. With the trust and support from Beijing, I strongly believe that the new Chief Executive and his governing team can bring stability and long-term prosperity to Hong Kong.
LISTENING TO THE PEOPLE
In the past, the Hong Kong government has been criticized for insufficient collection of public opinions, resulting in policies out of line with citizens’ preferences. In response, the new government should immerse themselves into public forums, listening to their opinions, and trying to incorporate their views when formulating government policies.
Undoubtedly, the social movement and mass migration in recent years revealed that there has been a crisis of confidence, especially among young adults. The new Chief Executive must address their concerns by organizing a wide range of activities for teenagers and enrich their participation in the operation of the city.
YOUTH BUREAU IS GOOD START
The reorganization of the Home Affairs Bureau to give rise to the Home and Youth Affairs Bureau is definitely a good start. The new bureau should work to build mutual trust between youth and government through open communication. With a more fair, open and transparent system, Hong Kong citizens can be involved in government operations more actively and become more affiliated to this growing place.
Apart from tackling the above challenges, the new Chief Executive should proactively look for innovation. Mr Lee has a number of new initiatives to resolve the problems in housing, medical and elderly care, as indicated in his election manifesto. The four tenets he has mentioned are: to strengthen governance capability, streamline government procedures, enhance overall competiveness, and build a caring society.
Hong Kong people will be deeply impressed with his leadership if this is accomplished during his term of service. Besides, it is clear that the majority of Hong Kong people want the resumption of normal traveller movement between Hong Kong and the mainland, as well as to other parts of the world. Mr Lee should demonstrate his problem-solving skills to resume movement as soon as possible so foreign investors can regain confidence in Hong Kong.
HIGH EXPECTATIONS
With the implementation of Article 43 of the Law of the People’s Republic of China on Safeguarding National Security, Hong Kong is undergoing a crucial moment of “restoring order from chaos, unveiling a new chapter of development towards greater prosperity”. Instead, “Patriots administering Hong Kong” is not just a slogan but a clear direction issued by the central government.
The Chief Executive, Principal Officials, and the Legislative Council members are patriots. So the expectation of achievements is high – from Hong Kong citizens and the central government.
After a series of celebrations for the 25th anniversary, the media and the public will shift their focus back to the governance of the city. Many of us are looking forward to the seeing the new Hong Kong government unite society and leading the citizens to new heights.
Photo at the top by Andres Garcia on Unsplash