On Friday, the nomination period for the eighth-term Legislative Council election in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region officially commenced, marking the formal launch of the electoral process. The success of this election will be of great significance and will have a far-reaching impact in accelerating the city’s transition from good governance to prosperity and in advancing high-quality democracy suited to Hong Kong’s actual conditions.

The city’s communities are enthusiastic about the upcoming election, demonstrating a united commitment to a shared future. The SAR government is preparing for the election in accordance with legal procedures. Thanks to extensive publicity and mobilization efforts, patriots of caliber and commitment with a passion for serving the nation and the city have been motivated to run. Some members of the seventh-term LegCo publicly voiced their intention not to seek reelection, thus paving the way for younger candidates and ensuring a smooth succession of patriotic forces within the legislature. Their noble character and integrity are truly commendable.

Aspirational talents from various sectors, professions, districts, and political groups are ardently preparing for their campaigns and formulating their policy platforms. It is reported that the upcoming election will feature competition in every geographical and functional constituency. During the seventh LegCo tenure, the revamped electoral system proved to be effective, and its overall performance was highly praised, leaving the upcoming eighth-term election highly anticipated, as it is expected to exemplify high-quality democracy even more fully on all fronts. Voters are looking forward to electing capable candidates who are sincerely dedicated to public service and will ensure good governance for a better Hong Kong.

However, anti-China subversive forces have never stopped trying to disrupt Hong Kong’s elections. We must remain vigilant to prevent them from staging a comeback. These forces have a track record of instigating civil unrest in the run-up to every election. Prior to the electoral overhaul, these troublemakers conspired with external forces to launch smear campaigns, sabotaging the electoral process and spreading misleading polls. They even plotted notorious schemes such as “ThunderGo” and “Project Storm”, resorting to violence to threaten people with different political views and manipulate voters. They did whatever they could to obstruct elections through hostile maneuvers such as civil disobedience, unlawful referendums, and vote boycotts. 

Any attempt to interfere with or disrupt the election is doomed to fail. The eighth LegCo election will further consolidate the foundation of good governance in the HKSAR by implementing the most authentic, practical, and effective democratic practices. A new landscape of high-quality democracy, suited to the city’s actual conditions, is revealing itself on the horizon

During the social unrest in 2019, they organized an illegal “primary election” with the sinister intention of subverting the SAR government by instigating a constitutional crisis. These malicious acts undermined the fairness and integrity of the elections, and posed a grave threat to national security and the legality of the SAR’s governance. The subsequent enforcement of the Hong Kong SAR National Security Law (NSL) and the overhaul of the electoral system have enabled the SAR to faithfully implement the principle of “patriots administering Hong Kong”. Anti-China subversive forces and their proxies have been lawfully excluded from the governance body. In particular, the NSL established a legal framework to hold accountable those who collude with foreign hostile forces or external elements to manipulate or sabotage the SAR’s elections. Likewise, the Safeguarding National Security Ordinance also contains corresponding criminal penalties. Legislation protecting national security enables the authorities to crack down severely on any acts seeking to undermine the election. Those who commit such crimes will face severe legal consequences. With electoral security now effectively safeguarded, the electoral process can proceed in order without compromise.

However, vigilance is still essential as anti-China forces and external hostile elements never abandon their malicious intentions and lurk in the shadows ready to instigate chaos. Recent examples include the outlandish theory of “Beijing’s interference in the election”, the circulation of the so-called “list of the blessed”, disparaging the performance of incumbent members of the seventh-term LegCo, and inciting a boycott en masse. All these are the hostile forces’ old tricks, and their aim is always the same: to nullify the newly enforced electoral system, to challenge the central government’s overall jurisdiction over the Hong Kong SAR, to undermine the authority of the SAR government, to disrupt the city’s transit through good governance to prosperity, and to plunge the city back into political chaos. Voters should remain vigilant and wise up to the hostile forces’ evil intentions. The SAR’s law enforcement and Judiciary agencies will not sit back and do nothing. Anyone attempting to interfere with or disrupt the elections will not escape legal investigations and consequent punishment.

Hong Kong’s momentum in translating good governance into true prosperity is unstoppable. As it advances on the right path toward high-quality democracy suited to Hong Kong’s conditions, the city is poised to embrace a bright future. Guided by the chief executive and the SAR government, all sectors in Hong Kong are galvanized to focus on pursuing economic growth and holistic social improvement to enhance the quality of life. The SAR’s construction and development are following a favorable trend: The city has been rated as the world’s freest economy for consecutive years, and its status as an international financial center and its global competitiveness remain firmly in third place worldwide. Furthermore, the Shenzhen-Hong Kong-Guangzhou cluster has risen to the top of the world’s 100 innovation hubs ranking, making it the most sought-after destination for talent in Asia and the fourth in the world. The recently concluded fourth plenary session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China has drawn up a blueprint for the country’s development over the next five years, and the HKSAR is now blessed with new waves of historic opportunities.

We place our trust in the SAR government, which will earnestly fulfill its responsibilities as the first accountable body to ensure that the upcoming election is held in a fair, just, safe and orderly manner. Eligible patriotic candidates will actively enter the race and engage in high-quality, healthy competition, in which the electorate will judge them on the basis of their policy platforms, capabilities, and integrity. The vast majority of voters will undoubtedly cherish their ballots, exercise their democratic right to have a say in local affairs, and cast a responsible vote for the future of the city that they call home.

Any attempt to interfere with or disrupt the election is doomed to fail. The eighth LegCo election will further consolidate the foundation of good governance in the HKSAR by implementing the most authentic, practical, and effective democratic practices. A new landscape of high-quality democracy, suited to the city’s actual conditions, is revealing itself on the horizon.

(Source: Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council)