The second plenary session of the Conference for Electing Deputies of the Hong Kong SAR to the 14th National People's Congress is held in Hong Kong, Dec 15, 2022. (CALVIN NG / CHINA DAILY)

The new deputies for the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region to the nation’s top legislature pledged to earnestly serve the interests of city residents on the national platform and help the SAR make greater contributions to the nation.

Hong Kong elected 36 deputies to the 14th National People’s Congress, the nation’s top legislature, from 42 qualified candidates during the electoral conference’s second plenary session on Thursday. They will each serve a 5-year term starting from 2023.

Newly elected deputy Starry Lee Wai-king, chairperson of the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong (DAB), said that she felt honored to have been elected and will fulfill her promise to take full advantage of the principle of “one country, two systems” during her term

Newly elected deputy Starry Lee Wai-king, chairperson of the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong (DAB), said that she felt honored to have been elected and will fulfill her promise to take full advantage of the principle of “one country, two systems” during her term. 

Another newly elected deputy, Priscilla Leung Mei-fun, vice-chairwoman of the Business and Professionals Alliance for Hong Kong, said that she has many aspirations to be realized as a Hong Kong deputy, and hopes to bring more vitality to the NPC deputy team in Hong Kong. 

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Among the 36 deputies, 15 incumbent NPC deputies were successfully re-elected. They also expressed their determination to improve the well-being of Hong Kong residents and create a more harmonious society.

Nancy Ip Yuk-yu, president of the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, secured 1,254 votes, the highest number in the election. She said she was pleased to continue serving Hong Kong’s innovation and technology industry.

Stanley Ng Chau-pei, president of the Hong Kong Federation of Trade Unions, said that he felt the election was competitive and that every candidate was outstanding. 

Having been elected as an NPC deputy for the third time, Li Yinquan, director of China Merchants Capital Co Ltd, said he was confident about the new NPC deputies’ abilities, and said he would endeavor to further integrate the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region with the Chinese mainland to create better opportunities for the development of Hong Kong enterprises.

READ MORE: 42 candidates qualify to run for HK NPC deputies

Legal pundit Chan Man-ki, who was also re-elected, vowed to leverage her expertise in law, arbitration, and dispute resolution service in the HKSAR and the mainland to advance the nation’s law-based governance and help build the city into an international law and dispute resolution center during her 5-year term.

Tommy Li Ying-sang, life honorary chairman of the Chinese General Chamber of Commerce, Hong Kong, was also successfully re-elected. He said he was delighted to see that some young candidates have been elected, and hopes they can lead young people in Hong Kong to become more deeply engaged in national political affairs and make greater contributions to the country.