Editorial | Balance required in new code of conduct for Hong Kong civil servants
- City’s imposed national security law and governance revamp have made reform of its 180,000-strong civil service inevitable
Moving with the times may appear a monumental task for an establishment with tens of thousands of employees. But the national security law and governance revamp have made reform of the 180,000-strong civil service inevitable.
The new requirements set out in an updated code of conduct do this.
The document of dos and don’ts for government employees, which has swollen from 16 pages to 30, emphasises how Hong Kong has entered a new era in governance and explains in some detail the constitutional order, the “one country, two systems” principle, national security, administration by “patriots” as well as President Xi Jinping’s goal to rejuvenate the nation.
At the same time, staff are reminded of the “unique status and strengths” of the city, and that they should know how to realise the full potential of the advantages of “two systems” under “one country”, especially in maintaining a free and open business environment, maintaining the system of common law and fostering international exchanges.
The draft code has sensibly preserved political neutrality as part of the expanded core values. It stresses the need for civil servants to serve the chief executive and the government of the day “with total loyalty and to the best of their ability”, and they should never selectively refuse to implement policies they may not agree with, delay their implementation or adopt a passive attitude in implementing them because of their own political views.