Political adviser says HK has 'a bright future'

Kenneth Fok Kai-kong, a national political adviser from Hong Kong, said that with the National Security Law and "patriots governing Hong Kong" policy implemented, Hong Kong is like a runaway train being put back on the correct path.

"It has given Hong Kong a bright future in the years to come," said Fok, a member of the 13th Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference National Committee.

Recalling the dramatic events in Hong Kong in the past 10 years, including the protests that unfolded in 2019, he said. "Hong Kong really became a place that was unfamiliar to me", with protests, violence and people setting each other on fire, making citizens feel unsafe.

At the Legislative Council election in December, the first under Hong Kong's improved electoral system, Fok won a seat in the sports, performing arts, culture and publication sector.

"The election was much more positive and candidates had very constructive debates," he said, compared to a previous election he experienced when the political landscape wasn't so stable.

He said the previous election was very politically charged as he and his opponent were not engaged in exchanging ideas on how to improve the sector, but rather competing on political ideals, which was unhealthy for Hong Kong.

In the election last year, Fok said, "We all spoke about our vision and hope, and how we can personally help the industry grow better and help people's livelihoods."

During the campaign, he set up stations in different areas in Hong Kong to listen to people's ideas in the streets.

"It's great to hear their views. What they want with their local sports club or their local soccer team, or they might enjoy tennis or they might teach a particular sports part time," he said, adding that these are the people who should get engaged more with the new system.

Fok said he will use his role as a Legislative Council member and connections on the Chinese mainland to help different sectors get access to the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area as it represents new opportunities.

Hong Kong will co-host the 15th National Games in 2025 with neighboring Guangdong province and Macao, and it should seize the opportunity, Fok said.

More sports exchanges should be held and more sports industries should be encouraged to develop in the Bay Area, so young people in Hong Kong can use sports as a starting point to contribute to the overall development of the area, he said.

Fok said the most urgent issue to deal with is to liaise with government and society to find more resources to help people in his sector who have been hit hard by the latest wave of COVID-19.

He added that he feels deeply grateful to the central government and his fellow countrymen, especially mainland medical workers and experts who are at the front lines in Hong Kong.

"We're a family. Blood is thicker than water. As long as we stand united, there is no difficulty we cannot overcome," he said.

Speaking about his expectations for the Hong Kong chief executive election, which was postponed to May due to the pandemic, Fok said, "After what we experienced in 2019, everyone is looking for a new path to success, which will take leadership".

He also said he hopes whoever is going to run should contribute to controlling the latest wave of the pandemic and find a way to improve people's livelihoods, which have been under threat from COVID-19 outbreaks in the past two years.