HK election hailed as a milestone for democracy

The central authorities and various sectors of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region hailed on Monday the formation of the new-term Legislative Council as a further demonstration of the SAR's high-quality democracy and a guarantee of the smooth implementation of the "one country, two systems" policy.

The newly elected lawmakers pledged to fast-track recovery after last month's Tai Po blaze — one of the city's deadliest fires that claimed at least 159 lives and displaced nearly 2,000 families. The legislators also promised to boost the city's long-term growth and drive its greater integration into national development.

According to the official results released on Monday, the Legislative Council election on Sunday saw more than 1.3 million voters cast their ballots.

The 90 lawmakers of the eighth-term Legislative Council of the HKSAR comprise 40 elected by the Election Committee, 30 by functional constituencies and 20 by geographical constituencies, with their four-year term set to begin on Jan 1.

The Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council said on Monday that the successful Legislative Council election in the HKSAR marked an important achievement in further consolidating and developing high-quality democracy in the region.

The newly elected lawmakers are all patriots who love the country and Hong Kong, and are capable, committed and dedicated to serving the community, said a spokesperson for the office.

It is hoped that the new legislators will fully, faithfully and unswervingly implement the "one country, two systems" policy, always uphold national sovereignty, security and development interests as the top priority, and promote Hong Kong's contribution to and its better integration into the country's overall development, the spokesperson added.

The Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the HKSAR and the Office for Safeguarding National Security of the Central People's Government in the HKSAR described the successful completion of the election as clear proof that the enhanced electoral system grounded in the "patriots administering Hong Kong" principle has been working effectively as intended.

Early on Monday morning, Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu extended his congratulations to all newly elected lawmakers and expressed his gratitude to all candidates for their active running bids.

"I believe the new Legislative Council members will deeply engage with the communities, connect with all sectors of society, understand public sentiments, offer suggestions and strategies and work together with the SAR government to deepen reforms in Hong Kong and jointly create a bright future," Lee said.

Lau Siu-kai, a consultant at the Chinese Association of Hong Kong and Macao Studies, said the new lawmakers should promptly work with the SAR government to address the complex aftermath of the fire that engulfed seven of the eight high-rise buildings at the Wang Fuk Court residential estate in Tai Po.

"Their longer-term focus should be on aligning the city's trajectory with national development, in sync with the country's top-level policymaking road map — the 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-30)," Lau added.

Fencer Vivian Kong Man-wai, who won a gold medal at the Paris Olympics in 2024, was elected in the tourism constituency in her first electoral bid. Kong said she plans to leverage her new role to showcase Hong Kong's tourism strength worldwide.

Veteran lawmaker Starry Lee Wai-king, who is also a Hong Kong member of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, China's top legislature, retained her seat in the Kowloon Central constituency. She said she and her team will double down on work to improve residents' livelihoods and strengthen post-disaster relief and reconstruction efforts.