Former minister vows to improve Hong Kong-Beijing ties if he wins seat on China’s top legislature
Former chief of mainland Chinese affairs in Hong Kong, Raymond Tam, says electors have been ‘supportive’ of his chances
The former minister in charge of mainland affairs in Hong Kong, Raymond Tam Chi-yuen, has announced plans to run for a seat in China’s top legislature, saying he hopes to help improve ties between the city and Beijing.
Tam said he had been encouraged to take part in the election, scheduled for December, by some incumbent Hong Kong delegates on the National People’s Congress (NPC) and in recent weeks decided to give it a try.
He said he had called on some of the 1,989 electors on the electoral college that would pick the Hong Kong delegates and that they had, in general, been “supportive”.
“There are 36 seats for Hong Kong delegates. Maybe I can make it,” Tam said, when asked to assess his chances.
Tam hoped he could serve as a bridge to enhance trust between the central government and “various political parties” in Hong Kong and to try to bring the practices adopted in Hong Kong and the international community to the mainland, should he win the election.
“I hope ... to help the senior officials in Beijing understand more the sentiment and the thinking behind the Hong Kong community, and to explain in a more Hong Kong-language, so to speak, the consideration of the central government,” said Tam. “As I have said in the past, if Hong Kong were to restart political reforms, there would be a need to enhance communication between the central government and Hong Kong.”