Fresh ideas promised as new faces make up most of the hopefuls aiming for spots in Hong Kong delegation to China’s legislature

Almost two-thirds of the Hongkongers aiming to join China’s legislature for five years after a local vote on Thursday are new faces, as they vow to bring in fresh ideas and be proactive in reflecting residents’ voices to Beijing.

Observers also called on the new representatives to the National People’s Congress (NPC) – unlike their predecessors – to be more outspoken in local politics to safeguard Beijing’s interests, as the city seeks closer integration with mainland China.

The NPC, the highest organ of state power on the mainland, has the mandate to amend the constitution and oversee its enforcement. It also enacts and amends laws, elects and appoints members to central state organs and directs policy on key issues.

Hong Kong deputies to NPC will play bigger role in governance: senior official

Hong Kong has formed its own delegation to the NPC since 1998 and representatives are called deputies. The five-yearly election, taking place on Thursday, will have 21 out of the 36 current Hong Kong deputies not seeking re-election. A panel, with 1,421 members from the Election Committee, is responsible for picking the new deputies.

In past years, only nine to 13 new faces emerged as the remaining seats were occupied by those re-elected. But this time, only 15 incumbents are seeking re-election, meaning the delegation will feature at least 21 new faces.

A closer look by the Post found that among the 42 candidates who have secured nominations to run for a seat this year, 14 of them are under 50 years old.

The youngest hopefuls are watchmaker William Shum Wai-lam, 37, former district councillor Roy Chu Lap-wai, 39, and Iris Wong, 40, a chief officer of the Hong Kong Coalition, a pro-Beijing group.

Chu, a member of the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong (DAB), the city’s biggest party, said he hoped he could help to resolve problems faced by young local people, especially those who were studying on the mainland, if elected.

42 Hong Kong candidates to compete in poll for 36 spots on China’s legislature

“Families have complained to me that some of their children have struggled to adapt to the new environment since they went to study across the border,” he said.

“I hope I can help lobby Hong Kong or mainland authorities to set up specific posts for Hong Kong students on the mainland to seek help, so they won’t be so lonely and helpless.”

Candidate Gordon Lam Chi-wing, 43, chief supply chain officer of Sinopec Hong Kong, said that apart from reflecting the opinions of some mainland enterprises, he wanted to provide more career opportunities for young people in the country’s energy and tech companies.

“Many young people are working hard in innovation and starting their businesses in Hong Kong and on the mainland,” he said. “It’s good that there will be more young deputies in the next delegation because we will be bringing in more fresh ideas.”

Yang Zhenwu, secretary general of the NPC Standing Committee, reflected Beijing’s high hopes for the new deputies, saying last month the Hong Kong representatives would “definitely play a bigger role in the affairs and governance of the country”.

Veteran China watcher Johnny Lau Yui-siu said the prominence of fresh candidates showed the central government was looking for a new delegation that could think outside the box.

“The proportion of incumbents seeking re-election is relatively small this time because many had contributed to the country for a long time,” he said. “It will be good for the overall image of the Hong Kong delegation to have more new faces. These delegates can also inject new thinking.”

Lau said moderate candidates from the business and professional sectors were also replacing pro-Beijing heavyweights such as Tam Yiu-chung, Ip Kwok-him and Cheng Yiu-tong, who were vocal in hitting out at critics in the past. Tam will also be stepping down as the city’s sole delegate to the NPC Standing Committee, the nation’s top legislative body.

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“After the electoral overhaul last year, there are now fewer and fewer political issues in Hong Kong. Most policy issues are related to the economy and people’s livelihoods, and the delegation needs to show they are capable of connecting with various sectors,” he added.

Political analyst Song Sio-chong, a professor at Shenzhen University’s Centre for Basic Laws of Hong Kong and Macau, however, said the NPC deputies had to continue to speak up for the central government as long as the city’s prosperity and stability were at stake.

“The deputies need to help mitigate economic and political risks and safeguard the city’s stability. After the opposition camp was sidelined, the pro-Beijing camp must also do more in monitoring the government’s work,” he said.

Other new hopefuls are Andrew Fan Chun-wah, son of former NPC Standing Committee member Rita Fan Hsu Lai-tai, ex-transport minister Frank Chan Fan, and lawmakers Priscilla Leung Mei-fun, a member of the Basic Law Committee, DAB chairwoman Starry Lee Wai-king and Ronick Chan Chun-ying from the banking sector.

Ronick Chan, an adviser to the Bank of China Hong Kong, said he hoped the city could help the country to further modernise its financial industry.

“China is now the world’s second-largest economy, but the yuan has yet to internationalise, and its capital market has yet to be fully opened,” he said.

Chan also said that even though a relatively small proportion of incumbents were seeking re-election, the new delegation could work well with balanced participation from different sectors.