Video loading...
Reporters: Wan Houde, Zhang Yue, Liu Zhanwei, Liang Jiajun
Hong Kong, 12 Jan (Xinhua) -- The Seventh Legislative Council of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) held its first meeting at 11:00 a.m. on 12 January in the conference hall of the Legislative Council Complex. At the meeting, the national emblem and regional emblem were unveiled and attracted attention at the same time, which was the first time in the history of the Legislative Council of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region that the national emblem and the regional emblem were hung in the conference hall at the same time.
On January 12, Carrie Lam, chief executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, attended the Chief Executive's Q&A meeting. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Lu Xiaowei
At the first meeting of the 7th Legislative Council of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, the venue was completely renovated. The national emblem and the district emblem, one large and one small, one up and one down, hung above the chairman's seat, facing the door of the conference hall. At a glance, the solemn atmosphere shines brightly.
The meeting was a question-and-answer session by the Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, in which Carrie Lam spoke first and then responded to questions raised by lawmakers.
In her speech, Mrs Lam briefed the legislators on three aspects of work, namely, establishing executive-legislative relations, promoting the "Northern Metropolitan Area" and restructuring the SAR government structure. She said that the national emblem and the district emblem were hung in the Legislative Council chamber at the same time, which is a milestone in the development of the SAR's political system. She and the governance team look forward to working fully with the MPs to make practical achievements under the improved electoral system, strive for public recognition, let the new system play its superiority, and lay a solid foundation for the long-term and healthy development of democracy in Hong Kong. Mrs Lam also briefed the members on the progress of the key work of the "Northern Metropolitan Area" and the proposed government restructuring plan of the current HKSAR Government, with a view to straightening out the STRUCTURE of the HKSAR Government, promoting policy innovation and improving the level of governance.
In terms of cooperating with the work of the Legislative Council, Carrie Lam promised to attend the Q&A meeting on a regular basis to respond directly to the questions of members. She would also request the directors of the departments to have formal or informal exchanges with members as early as possible in the policy formulation process and to consult with the relevant Legislative Council Affairs Committees.
Subsequently, a number of members of parliament asked Lam questions about the improvement of people's livelihood in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, epidemic prevention and control, and the legislation of Article 23 of the Hong Kong Basic Law. Carrie Lam answered the lawmaker's questions in detail. The Q&A meeting, which was scheduled to take 1.5 hours, was extended by half an hour.
After the meeting, Legislator Lee Wai-chung said that the first meeting of the Seventh Legislative Council was proceeding in an orderly manner, and the public could also learn about the content of the meeting through live broadcasting and other means. Under the new election system, the Legislative Council has implemented the principle of "patriots governing Hong Kong", which is conducive to the establishment of a new type of administrative and legislative relationship. The Chief Executive of the HKSAR and the Secretary General of the SAR Government will attend the Q&A meeting and other activities to have a positive interaction with the legislators, and the executive and legislative sides will cooperate with each other to jointly open up a new situation of good governance and good governance in Hong Kong.
Lawmaker Wu Qiubei said that the first meeting showed a gratifying new atmosphere, which also deepened the sense of responsibility of lawmakers, and everyone will strive to recover the wasted time in Hong Kong. He believes that in the future, the two sides of the executive and legislative sides will be able to make achievements together to solve the problems accumulated in Hong Kong.
Legislator Lam Kin Fung said that the atmosphere of the first meeting was peaceful and the progress was smooth, the chief executive and the deputies had rational consultations, targeted questions and answers, and there was no more chaos such as noise, throwing things, and making trouble. This year, the HKSAR has a lot to do, including epidemic prevention and control. The executive and legislative sides will work together and make achievements to make Hong Kong shine more beautifully and celebrate the 25th anniversary of its return to the motherland.
Voting on the 7th Legislative Council election of the HKSAR was successfully concluded on 19 December 2021, marking the first Legislative Council election since the improvement of the HKSAR's electoral system. 153 candidates ran for 90 seats, including 40 elected by the Electoral Commission, 30 elected by functional groups and 20 directly elected by the districts. The term of office of the Seventh Legislative Council begins on 1 January 2022 and will be four years.