Bauhinia Party co-founder: we love Hong Kong and should be on front lines to solve problems

In this extended excerpt from a Post interview, Charles Wong lays out the vision behind the organisation seeking to transform the city’s politics

He says both the pro-Beijing and opposition camps face hurdles in solving society’s challenges, and anyone suspicious of the Bauhinia Party should ask the only question that matters – what can it do for Hong Kong?

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Bauhinia Party co-founder Charles Wong sat down with the Post for a wide-ranging three-hour interview. Photo: K. Y. Cheng

Published: 11:30am, 17 Dec 2020Updated: 3:28pm, 17 Dec 2020

The almost secretive establishment of the Bauhinia Party in Hong Kong, led by three mainland-born financiers based in the city, has sent shock waves across the political divide. Questions have been raised about the party’s intentions, its members’ identities, and how it could fit into the city’s political scene following the disqualification of some opposition lawmakers and the subsequent resignations of the rest.

In an interview with the South China Morning Post, one of the co-founders, Charles Wong Chau-chi, addresses these questions, including whether its members are secret Communist Party operatives. The party’s ambition is to embrace people across the political spectrum and eventually recruit up to 250,000 members, he said.

The following is an edited excerpt of the interview.

Bauhinia Party co-founder Charles Wong says he understands the plight of the lower class after growing up in difficult circumstances as a teen in Hong Kong. Photo: K. Y. Cheng

What prompted you to set up the new party?

Last year’s political turmoil made us realise there have been a lot of issues in Hong Kong that never got addressed. A lot of social and economic issues morphed into political issues. Young people did not have avenues to properly express their discontent. And then it blew up last year.

We live here, we love it here. We should be the ones on the front line trying to resolve [these issues].

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