文 | 朱威澔  CHU Wai Ho

The first of July will mark the 25th anniversary of the establishment of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. All eyes are now on John Lee, the Chief Executive (CE) designate, who will be sworn in as our 6th term CE on the same day. Hong Kong has excelled under the ‘one country, two systems’ policy since 1997, with huge strides made in social and economic development. However, with our economy deeply hit by the pandemic in the recent years, coupled with the unstable global environment, the stakes are higher than ever for our incoming leader. Nonetheless, with John Lee, we have an experienced politician who is determined to bring us forward. Expectations for him are high, but all evidence suggests that he is the right man to, as stated in his manifesto, ‘get things moving forward’. Here, I discuss a few issues that I hope our new leader would prioritise once he assumes office.

First and foremost, I hope our new CE will come up with a swift and determined plan to curb the COVID-19 cases that are slowly creeping back up again. We need to implement effective but pragmatic actions to counter the virus and prioritise protecting vulnerable populations such as the elderly and children. The pandemic has plagued the life of the public for over two years now, and it has taken a heavy toll on the economy. It is vital for Hong Kong to restore its status as a thriving global hub. We need to reconnect with the mainland, as well as the rest of the world, as soon as possible. For this, we need to establish a clear timetable and also set realistic conditions that we can work towards to open up our gateway again.

Second, I hope our new CE can address some of the deep-rooted problems in the society, such as the housing shortage. In his manifesto, the new CE has vowed to tackle the housing problem, but it is important for him to do it in a timely and prudent manner. Any drastic approach will likely impact an already fragile housing market, with real estate development and brokerage businesses being such important pillars of the economy of Hong Kong. The application process and queue for public housing need to be streamlined to make urgent housing available for the underprivileged, and there needs to be a well-calculated approach to significantly augment land supply, while maintaining a healthy and steady housing market.

Third, I would suggest our new CE should focus on providing more resources and support to our healthcare system. The fifth wave of this pandemic has caught us off guard, overloading our healthcare system on several occasions. We were lucky to have strong support from the Central Government in our battle against the virus, but we need to upgrade our healthcare system to face future challenges. We also need to make more investments in healthcare facilities as well as in the recruitment of medical professionals and introduce incentives to fundamentally solve the chronic staff shortage situation in the public healthcare system. Additionally, we need plans to nurture and train more doctors and nurses to serve our community.

Fourth, I hope our new leader can do more to enhance upward mobility for the youth. We need to help our youth and provide them with more opportunities to climb up the social ladder, offer employment options and assist them to integrate into the Greater Bay Area. We should also provide greater access to internship and entrepreneurship opportunities in the Chinese mainland and abroad. In addition, it is important to encourage and promote innovation and offer guidance and support to the start-up companies in Hong Kong. The young people need to be reassured that their future is bright and promising, and that this is the right place to be. 

Finally, and arguably most importantly, I hope our new CE can revive and reignite our Lion Rock Spirit, which encompasses the core values of the Hong Kong people that include perseverance and solidarity to overcome all obstacles. Hong Kong has faced unprecedented challenges over the past three years, and it is easy to experience feelings of uncertainty in times like these. Therefore, more important than ever, our CE needs to work on reuniting the people and reigniting the passion and spirit of the Hong Kong people to come together and fight for a better future. As long as we continue to safeguard the successful implementation of the ‘one country, two systems’ policy, coupled with the unequivocal support from the central government, I believe that under the leadership of the new CE, the future of Hong Kong will be brighter than ever. 

（Executive Vice President of Hong Kong CPPCC Youth Association ）