Against the backdrop of a new wave of global technological revolution and industrial transformation, and amid an increasingly complex and volatile global landscape, Hong Kong must make every effort to pursue high-quality development to remain competitive and relevant. As part of the governance structure of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, the Legislative Council plays a crucial and indispensable role in this regard. The upcoming LegCo election is therefore of great significance, as high-quality democracy is essential to achieving high-quality development.
Under the “one country, two systems” principle, Hong Kong practices a model of democracy that is distinct from those in the West and different from that of the Chinese mainland. Regardless of the model it adopts, Hong Kong’s democratic system must be of high quality, embodying two core essences.
First, it must be an effective democracy. Democracy is a means of social governance, and its purpose is to promote effective governance. For Hong Kong, this means achieving a society where people live and work in peace and contentment, where social stability and prosperity are well maintained, and where the economy develops in a sustained and healthy way. A form of democracy that can fulfill these fundamental requirements is a good democracy — one that is functional and effective. Elections are a crucial component of democracy. In the case of the LegCo election, to reflect effective democracy is to elect members who are genuinely capable of delivering results for Hong Kong. Lawmakers must possess genuine talent and knowledge, have a solid understanding of social issues, and be capable of coming up with feasible and pragmatic proposals for improving governance and tackling problems. They should also be adept at communicating with administrative officials — not merely responding to public opinions, but identifying points of convergence between public sentiment and government policies, thereby transforming public input into concrete policy measures that ultimately benefit the people.
Second, it must be an orderly democratic system. “Orderly” essentially means adhering to established rules; specifically, the constitutional order governing Hong Kong. As a special administrative region of the People’s Republic of China, the primary principle of Hong Kong-style democracy is that it must align with the “one country, two systems” principle, prioritizing national and the SAR’s interests. In the context of the LegCo election, this requires the full implementation of the “patriots administering Hong Kong” tenet through rigorous candidate eligibility vetting. In addition, the election must embody broad representation and political inclusiveness. Candidates should compete on political platforms, capabilities, and public image, rather than resorting to attacking rivals. And the election must be conducted fairly, impartially, honestly and orderly.
“Effective democracy” and “orderly democracy” are mutually reinforcing. Organizing elections with the intention of promoting effective democracy makes it possible to achieve orderly democracy. Meanwhile, ensuring that the democratic process proceeds in an orderly manner is essential for realizing effective democracy. Both historically and in contemporary practice, these two dimensions define the essence of high-quality democracy
“Effective democracy” and “orderly democracy” are mutually reinforcing. Organizing elections with the intention of promoting effective democracy makes it possible to achieve orderly democracy. Meanwhile, ensuring that the democratic process proceeds in an orderly manner is essential for realizing effective democracy. Both historically and in contemporary practice, these two dimensions define the essence of high-quality democracy.
Low-quality democracy leads to poor governance, while high-quality democracy empowers high-quality development. The crux of the matter lies in selecting competent and virtuous individuals, entrusting them with significant responsibilities.
In discussing the SAR’s high-quality development, it is essential to view it within the broader context of the country’s overall development strategy. The 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China laid out at its fourth plenary session the recommendations for formulating the 15th national Five-Year Plan (2026-30) with “high-quality development” at its core, outlining a series of strategic directions and initiatives. Hong Kong should identify its strategic priorities for promoting high-quality development from these recommendations, particularly in three areas: Achieve breakthroughs in innovation and technology development in line with the national strategy of technological self-reliance; enhance its role in the nation’s high-standard opening-up process; and find its right position in the national strategy of expanding domestic demand.
These three aspects are new highlights in national strategy, marking the latest trends in the country’s high-quality development and offering new opportunities for Hong Kong. While LegCo members are not policy implementers, they propose policies and supervise their implementation, and thus are key drivers of Hong Kong’s socioeconomic development. Several candidates for the upcoming LegCo election have announced their plans to launch political platforms surrounding these aspects. Voters should carefully examine the platforms of candidates, and elect the most competent ones.
At its core, democratic elections are about selecting the virtuous and capable. The electorate should identify problem-solvers who can cooperate effectively with the executive branch to address economic and livelihood issues. While the current administration has made notable progress in tackling those deep-seated problems since taking office, structural deficiencies accumulated over the decades require sustained efforts to tackle.
There is no doubt that Hong Kong still faces many livelihood issues and obstacles that hinder the city’s socioeconomic development, all of which need to be addressed one by one with a down-to-earth approach. Among the many candidates, who truly possesses the capability to assist the administration in overcoming major challenges? It is hoped that all voters will make informed choices, focusing on economic and livelihood issues, assessing candidates’ capabilities, and electing mighty development facilitators.
The performance of the eighth-term Legislative Council will largely depend on whether the electoral process can bring competent individuals into the legislature, achieving high-quality democracy that drives forward Hong Kong’s high-quality development.
One has reason to hold high hopes, judging from the list of the 161 validly nominated candidates gazetted on Monday. Among them, many are professionals from new economic segments such as innovation and technology who possess both international perspectives and local experience. There are also candidates from think tanks who have deep knowledge about Hong Kong’s social situation and its deep-seated problems, as well as candidates from the rank of community workers who are deeply rooted in district-level governance or services.
The higher intensity of competition this time also ensures that only the best will be elected. All 90 seats in the legislature are set to see competition, with 51 candidates vying for the 20 directly elected seats in the geographical constituencies, 60 for the 30 functional constituency seats, and 50 for the 40 seats in the Election Committee constituency.
The author is vice-chairman of the Committee on Liaison with Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan and Overseas Chinese of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, and chairman of the Hong Kong New Era Development Thinktank.
The views do not necessarily reflect those of China Daily.
