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Ng Kang-chung

Hong Kong’s new legislature will be the youngest in the past two decades, with incoming lawmakers averaging 51 years old, according to public data.
The age is four years younger than that of the current line-up and seven years below the previous batch, which ended its term in 2021.
The rejuvenation of the Legislative Council is partly a result of the departure of 35 incumbent lawmakers, including 12 who are 70 years or above, such as the Liberal Party’s 76-year-old Tommy Cheung Yu-yan, the oldest and longest-serving member.
Among the newly elected, Vivian Kong Man-wai is the youngest. The retired Olympic fencing gold medallist tried her hand in politics at the age of 31 and won a seat to represent the tourism sector in Legco.
The eldest is Chan Siu-hung, 67, of the Election Committee constituency.
In comparison, the average age of current lawmakers is 55, with a wider age range of 35 to 76.
The average age of lawmakers from the city’s first post-handover Legco, between 1998 and 2000, was also about 51 years old.
But the lawmaking body had aged since, with the average age of lawmakers going up from 54 in the 2000-04 term to 58 in the 2012-16 term. The average age of members of the 2016-2021 term also stood at 58 years old.

Veteran China watcher Lau Siu-kai, a consultant at Beijing’s semi-official think tank the Chinese Association of Hong Kong and Macau Studies, said he believed Beijing would like to see more younger faces in the local political scene.
“I believe Beijing has an important role to play in ensuring that the legislature is getting younger,” Lau said.
Before the general election, speculation swelled that a Beijing-favoured 70-year age limit was being imposed for Legco.
But Beijing later dismissed suggestions of a so-called blessing list, saying the orderly succession of legislators through regular elections was Legco’s standard practice and represented one of the true meanings of democracy.
Lau added: “The younger legislators are expected to bring new mindsets to the governance of Hong Kong and to be bolder in putting forward different views on government policies.”
Hung Wing-lok, a political scientist at the Chinese University of Hong Kong’s School of Governance and Policy Science, shared similar views.
“Younger Legco members can bring fresh perspectives and insights, particularly regarding Hong Kong’s new economy and industrial innovation,” Hung said.
“They are also more capable of connecting with Hong Kong’s youth.”
But he added that these lawmakers might need “some time to build trust and maintain that connection”.
While analysts expressed optimism about a rejuvenated Legco, they also cautioned that challenges remained in ensuring the newcomers transitioned from promising individuals to effective legislators who could scrutinise issues and articulate policy positions.
Lau said: “They should learn to master the rules and procedures of Legco as soon as possible and to get prepared to become experts in particular policy areas and tap into the community’s experts to rapidly expand their expertise.”
Hung also noted that those without party affiliation could find Legco work more demanding as they lacked party support.


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Legco rejuvenation driven in part by departure of 35 incumbent lawmakers, including 12 aged 70 or above


Legco rejuvenation driven in part by departure of 35 incumbent lawmakers, including 12 aged 70 or above.


Hong Kong’s new legislature to be youngest in 2 decades, averaging 51 years old

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Legco rejuvenation driven in part by departure of 35 incumbent lawmakers, including 12 aged 70 or above

Legco rejuvenation driven in part by departure of 35 incumbent lawmakers, including 12 aged 70 or above