A Chinese central government spokesperson Monday hailed the successful holding of the 2021 Election Committee's subsector ordinary elections in China's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) as opening new prospects and bringing new hope.
The first key election after the enforcement of the Law on Safeguarding National Security in the HKSAR in 2020, and improvements to the HKSAR's electoral system earlier this year, Sunday's elections are of great importance and have far-reaching impacts, a spokesperson with the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council said in a statement.
Calling the election a vivid example of fully implementing the principle of "patriots administering Hong Kong," the spokesperson said it opens new prospects and brings new hope for Hong Kong to resume stability and advance prosperity.
It is conducive to Hong Kong's long-term stability, the improvement of local people's well-being, and the steady practice of "one country, two systems" in the long run, the spokesperson said.
With membership growing from 1,200 to 1,500 and the composition and the method for its formation improving, the Election Committee now has broader coverage and representativeness. It features more balanced participation of different sectors of society, representing an advancement in the quality of democracy in Hong Kong, the spokesperson said.
The Election Committee members selected through the election are from different walks of life in Hong Kong, including many of those who are from primary-level communities and young people. They represent the overall interests of Hong Kong society and national interests.
All these will lay a sound foundation for the coming successful holding of the Legislative Council election and the election of the Chief Executive, the spokesperson said.
The people of Hong Kong have shown widespread recognition and appreciation for the new electoral system, which they believe is instrumental to fostering a healthy, rational, and constructive election culture and boosting social harmony, the spokesperson noted.
The new electoral system is proved to be a sound system that suits Hong Kong's reality, boosts the healthy development of democracy in Hong Kong, and safeguards national sovereignty, security, and development interests. It also helps Hong Kong's long-term prosperity and stability and ensures the steady implementation of "one country, two systems," said the spokesperson.
The spokesperson called on members of the Election Committee to exercise their democratic rights with a sense of responsibility to the country and the HKSAR and live up to Hong Kong people's high expectations.
With the full implementation of the new electoral system, democracy in the HKSAR will move forward on a sound and orderly track, and governance efficacy will be raised consistently, while Hong Kong people's aspirations for a better life will be realized step by step, the spokesperson added.
