Starry Lee becomes sole Hong Kong member of nation’s top legislative body, succeeding veteran politician Tam Yiu-chung

Starry Lee Wai-king, the leader of Hong Kong’s largest political party, has vowed to strengthen communication with the central government as she succeeded veteran politician Tam Yiu-chung to become the city’s sole member of the national legislature’s apex body. Lee, 48, became the youngest Hong Kong member yet to join the National People’s Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, after being elected by 2,901 delegates on Saturday during the annual parliamentary meetings in Beijing, while 35 people voted against her and three abstained. Political analysts noted that Lee would be expected to act as a messenger between Beijing and Hong Kong as the central government shifts the focus from national security to boosting the city’s role in the country’s development. The newly elected representative said she felt “extremely honoured and thankful to the country”, adding she had great responsibilities to shoulder. “Hong Kong is closely connected to the development of the country,” she told the media during a virtual interview from Beijing. “I will serve as a ‘communication bridge’ to reflect residents’ opinions to the central government, so that Beijing and the standing committee can better understand the situation in Hong Kong.” “I will also help people better understand the country’s policies and laws, and try my best to contribute to securing development opportunities for the city, especially in the Greater Bay Area and improve people’s livelihoods,” she added, referring to Chinese President Xi Jinping’s plan to link Hong Kong, Macau and nine mainland cities in Guangdong province into an integrated business hub to rival the United States’ Silicon Valley. Party leaders front runners to represent Hong Kong on China’s top legislative body Lee said she would strive to unite all sectors, while promoting the national security law, the country’s constitution and the Basic Law, the city’s mini-constitution. Asked whether she would quit her other positions as House Committee chair in the Legislative Council or her role as chairwoman of the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong, Lee only said she would continue to communicate with different parties. The accountant-turned-lawmaker was a newcomer to the NPC this year. She has served on the nation’s top political advisory body, the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), for the past five years. The nation’s top legislative body has a long tradition of picking a veteran Hong Kong politician to serve as the city’s representative. The standing committee has 159 members in total. Previous Hong Kong representatives include Henry Fok Ying-tung, Tsang Hin-chi and Rita Fan Hsu Lai-tai, the city’s first Legco president after the 1997 handover from British to Chinese rule. Lau Siu-kai, a consultant at Beijing’s semi-official think tank, the Chinese Association of Hong Kong and Macau Studies, said Lee was well positioned to take up the heavy workload in the standing committee because of her relatively young age and organisational support from her party. “The central authorities are probably expecting Lee to act as an effective bridge between Beijing and Hong Kong residents by reflecting the views of the residents to Beijing, and explaining the work and decisions of the NPC to the city residents,” he said. Andrew Fung Ho-keung, director of the private think tank Hong Kong Policy Research Institute, added that Lee’s demeanour might better appeal to young people, as her public remarks had seldom been met with strong reaction from political opponents. Fung said he expected Lee’s agenda to be different from Tam’s, whose five-year tenure was dominated by Beijing’s response to political turbulence in Hong Kong. “I believe Lee will not only be explaining policies, but also [she will work on] policies that address Hong Kong’s integration into the national development, development of the city’s professionals in the Greater Bay Area and Hong Kong’s international status,” he said. Tam, 73, who announced last December that he would step down from the role, said he was pleased that Lee was his successor, and he believed she would do a good job. Tung Chee-wah, Hong Kong’s first chief executive after the 1997 handover, also stepped down as CPPCC vice-chairman. It leaves former city leader Leung Chun-ying as the city’s only member of the advisory body serving at that level. Hong Kong delegates urged to take more active role in developing Greater Bay Area NPC deputy Ma Fung-kwok, who led the Hong Kong delegation, said he believed Lee could perform well in the position despite her young age, adding he was willing to share her Legco workload as the deputy chairman of the House Committee. Ng Chau-pei, deputy head of the delegation, who was once tipped as a leading candidate for the sole Hong Kong member of the top legislative body, said he felt encouraged that Lee was elected with many votes, as it reflected the importance the country attached to the city. “It’s an honour for the city,” he said. “I hope that Lee will speak out for Hong Kong in her new position and help to promote the development of mainland China.”