The 2022 Chief Executive Election was held earlier (May 8), and the former Chief Secretary for Administration, Li Jiachao, became the next Chief Executive with a record-breaking 99% approval rate. He had high expectations.
Li Jiachao, who promises to renew the chapter for Hong Kong, whether he can surpass the previous chief executives and become a model of "governing Hong Kong by virtue" in future governance depends on how he solves the three major challenges in front of him through effective governance.
The election of the Li family with super high votes is only the first step, and the next step is to test whether he can become an outstanding Hong Kong ruler.
(Photo by Li Zetong)
Re-establish confidence and
enhance the recognition of the Hong Kong government
In fact, there are quite a few challenges before Li Jiachao, three of which can be described as urgent and arduous.
First, in recent years, many Hong Kong people are in a low mood, negatively expecting the future development of Hong Kong, and lack recognition for the revision of the electoral system and the election of the chief executive. Can Li Jiachao change their perception, so that more people can rebuild their confidence and enhance the recognition of the Hong Kong government? , is the immediate challenge.
Since the colonial period of Hong Kong, a series of problems have arisen and accumulated, which have not been effectively solved after the handover, and the accumulation is difficult to return.
This has become a deep root cause of social instability in Hong Kong, and radicalism and separatism have prevailed.
The occupation action in 2014, the Mong Kok riots in 2016, and the turmoil over the amendment of the bill in 2019 are all closely related to this, and have also exposed the crisis of governance in Hong Kong over the past few years.
In order to solve the problem, the central government made a strong move to adjust the policy of governing Hong Kong, and successively formulated the "Hong Kong National Security Law" and revised the Hong Kong electoral system.
At present, radicalism and separatism in Hong Kong have indeed been effectively contained, social order has returned to stability, political chaos has been greatly reduced, and administrative efficiency has improved.
However, there are two sides. The boundaries of freedom that many citizens are accustomed to have shrunk, and the democratic component that has been deepening since the reunification has declined. The goal of "dual universal suffrage" stipulated in the Basic Law is unknown.
Because of this, some people who have strong aspirations or obsessions for freedom and democracy are naturally disappointed and anxious about Hong Kong politics and the trend of "one country, two systems", even if the central Hong Kong-related system always takes the trouble to explain that the adjustment of the Hong Kong governance policy is for Hong Kong. Prosperity and stability is the hope that the "one country, two systems" will be stable and long-term, but it cannot effectively relieve doubts.
The chief executive election held in this social atmosphere can only gain the support of Hong Kong people who are inclined to the establishment camp, and most people other than that are more or less doubtful and disappointed.
Although it is said that "heroes do not ask where they come from", it is indeed unfair to simply judge one's performance based on one's background. However, Li Jiachao is in the disciplined forces and lacks experience in public administration. In addition, he forcibly revised the "Fugitive Offenders Ordinance" three years ago, and his ability to explain policies and communicate is limited. , it is inevitable to doubt whether he is qualified for the job of chief executive.
Faced with this situation, Li Jiachao needs to take concrete actions to convince the people of Hong Kong that the adjustment of the central government's policy of governing Hong Kong is a necessary move. "If anything needs to change, it must be better and more conducive to Hong Kong's prosperity and development."
Whether Li Jiachao can change the public's perception, let more people rebuild their confidence, and enhance the recognition of the Hong Kong government is an immediate challenge.
(Associated Press)
Let go of distrust and
promote the second return of people's hearts
Second, it has been nearly 25 years since Hong Kong returned to China, but the people of Hong Kong have not fully returned. Many people always have a sense of alienation and distrust when facing the country.
The main reason is that more than 100 years of colonial history has shaped the psychological structure and ideology of Hong Kong people. The cultural and educational work after the handover failed to play the role of building the national identity of Hong Kong people. Failed to effectively win public approval.
If you want to change this situation, you might as well seek inspiration from the depths of history.
During most of the British colonial period, most Hong Kong people had a Chinese identity, when class conflicts and ethnic conflicts were sharp.
It is only after the "June 7 riots" that the British Hong Kong government continued to use political, legal and ideological means to actively act in Hong Kong's governance, economy and people's livelihood, so as to completely change the overall psychological structure of Hong Kong people.
Hong Kong Governor Crawford Murray MacLehose is one of the representatives. His reforms and actions have comprehensively enhanced the Hong Kong people's sense of identity and belonging to the British Hong Kong government.
Stones from other hills, can learn.
"Hong Kong 01" has repeatedly reiterated that under the framework of "One Country, Two Systems", Hong Kong needs more effective Hong Kong rulers like MacLehose, especially when the anti-amendment turmoil brings legitimacy to the adjustment of Beijing's Hong Kong policy. Before the dividends are exhausted, we will carry out major reforms and great achievements that will give Hong Kong people a real sense of gain, so as to win the hearts and minds of the people built by the British colony of Hong Kong on a wider scale.
Only in this way can Hong Kong and Beijing under "one country, two systems" achieve the greatest win-win situation: Hong Kong society increasingly identifies with the country, and Beijing grants Hong Kong greater political space.
Whether Li Jiachao can actively reconstruct his national identity and promote the second return of people's hearts after taking office is another major challenge before him.
Hong Kong needs to reform the capitalist economic system, break the cage of interest structure, and reshape the value of fairness and justice in order to give hope to more people.
Solve deep
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Third, the deep-seated contradictions that have plagued Hong Kong for a long time since the colonial period, such as the disparity between the rich and the poor, the solidification of strata, the lack of hope for the youth, the single economic structure and the housing problem, need to be resolved urgently and cannot be delayed any longer.
Today's Hong Kong economic system has the suspicion of "fighting capitalism". A person's success and wealth status are more and more dependent on his background rather than personal struggle.
Chen Zhiwu, the Fung Chair Professor of the University of Hong Kong, once pointed out that "the class structure of Hong Kong society is too rigid, and the space for cross-class mobility is too narrow." The old names such as Aviation, Cheung Kong, Kerry Group, Swire Group, and Jardine Group are all "Old Hong Kong" left over decades ago. There are no new big companies, which itself tells you the "old Hong Kong" of this society. Money' has long been solidified in the hands of a few noble families, and grassroots can only continue to be grassroots."
Under such a structure of economic interests, most of the dividends are monopolized by a few people. It is not only difficult for ordinary people to achieve a class jump, but also have to suffer from high housing prices, high rents and high prices. The rich get richer and the poor get poorer. restrict the vitality of social development.
"Hong Kong 01" has already pointed out that a free and fair competitive environment is an important secret of Hong Kong's rise, but the current "Fighting Capitalism" is the alienation, degeneration and end of liberal capitalism. Hong Kong no longer needs it, but needs to reform capitalism The economic system, breaking the cage of interest structure and reshaping the value of fairness and justice, can give hope to more people.
Hong Kong is Hong Kong for everyone, and the development dividends of Hong Kong should benefit everyone. Hong Kong's freedom, including economic freedom, should also be shared by everyone.
The above three challenges are the key to a series of challenges that Li Jiachao has to face after being elected as the chief executive.
A week before the election, Li Jiachao announced the four major contents covered in his political platform—strengthening the government’s governance capabilities and uniting to relieve the people’s difficulties; streamlining procedures in a multi-pronged manner to provide more places to live; comprehensively enhancing competitiveness and creating space for sustainable development; Building a caring and inclusive society and increasing the opportunities for the upper class of young people—it does contain the above three challenges to a certain extent, and the key now lies in whether he can combine knowledge and action, and to what extent can he fulfill the promise of the political platform, and whether he can do it better.
Hong Kong is still in the throes of the central government's strong rectification after the turmoil of the amendment bill. The new Hong Kong governance policy has not yet been fully recognized by the Hong Kong society. Whether Li Jiachao can be active, unite more Hong Kong people, and lead Hong Kong to renew the chapter after taking office will not only determine The importance of people in the world and the history of Hong Kong, and directly affects the acceptance of Hong Kong's new electoral system and the new direction of Hong Kong governance.
"I think when we say a government is popular it doesn't mean it has to be popular at any point during the governance...sometimes you have to be totally unpopular, but when you end your term you should be giving the people benefits, Only then will the people realize that what you do is necessary." The wise words of the late founding Prime Minister of Singapore, Lee Kuan Yew, are worth reading. I hope that the new government formed by him will not waste Hong Kong's years, but will fulfill his promises. The "will do things and get things done" will actually promote Hong Kong's prosperity, stability, fairness and justice, and the return of people's hearts.