The most important task to prioritize at the moment is to contain the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic throughout the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), Kenneth Fok Kai-kong, a member of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), told the Global Times in an exclusive interview on Tuesday, as Hong Kong battles against the fifth wave of wide-spread Omicron outbreak with strong support from the entire nation.
Fok thanked the central government and mainland medical personnel, staff and experts on the front line of the HKSAR’s current battle against COVID-19 on Monday during an interview of “Members’ Passage” during the ongoing two sessions.
“We should all unite and support Hong Kong to fight against the pandemic, especially to protect the lives of elderly people and children,” said Fok.
According to Fok, Hong Kong should reflect on how this round of the pandemic has impacted China as a whole, and what epidemic prevention policies Hong Kong can implement in a bid to better cooperate with the national policy and accelerate free travel between the Chinese mainland and Hong Kong SAR.
Multiple businesses in Hong Kong as well as the normal cultural and sports exchanges have been affected by the pandemic, said Fok, adding that the SAR government needs to come up with practical plans while cooperating with responsible authorities in the Chinese mainland in order to promote free travel.
Amid the current severe outbreak of the COVID-19 in the HKSAR, many deputies of the National People’s Congress and CPPCC National Committee members have also suggested proposals for anti-epidemic efforts, including supporting cross-border ambulance passage, setting up buffer zones for the delivery of vegetables and food at Hong Kong-Shenzhen ports, and stepping up support of medical supplies, facilities and personnel.
Moreover, Fok stressed that it is important to ensure the confidence of the international community toward Hong Kong. Hong Kong’s international status is an advantage for China’s development under the “one China, two systems” principle.
However, a number of financial institutions and businesses from the service industry have moved to other countries like Singapore due to the pandemic, so it is important to bolster the confidence of such enterprises.
Paul Chan Mo-po, financial secretary of the HKSAR, said on Sunday that Hong Kong is ensuring continuous and effective operation of the financial market amid anti-epidemic work.
Chan noted that many international financial institutions in Hong Kong have put in place contingency plans in response to the anti-epidemic measures, adding that the financial market will operate as usual even under tightened measures by cooperating with the HKSAR government’s prepared “business continuity plan.”
Fok expressed that he has been touched by the support from the Chinese mainland, but there are still challenges, such as distributing epidemic prevention materials to local residents in a safe and efficient way.
Meanwhile, the development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) has also become important topics among deputies and political advisors from the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions during the ongoing two sessions.
Fok noted that GBA will help the Hong Kong cultural industry to cooperate with the Chinese mainland which will also help better tell the China story.
He added that the cultural industry in Hong Kong is seeking transformation and upgrading, which is mostly funded by the HKSAR government and it might be hard to form a cultural ecology when the market is limited to Hong Kong.
“Hong Kong only has 7 million people whereas the Greater Bay Area has a population of more than 70 million. So finding out how to use the economic power of the GBA to further promote the development of Hong Kong’s cultural industry will be a significant task,” said Fok.
However, he added that there are still multiple issues and challenges to be further discussed in order to deeply integrate the Hong Kong cultural industry into the Chinese mainland.
Other than fully fighting the epidemic, Fok noted that the Legislative Council will work with the HKSAR government to roll out policies to bring more benefits to Hong Kong people and society moving forward.
The safety of Hong Kong residents has been guaranteed after the implementation of the National Security Law and Hong Kong electoral reform, said Fok. He also stressed that highly qualified people are willing to participate in the election and contribute to the development and construction of Hong Kong after the electoral reform, while members of the Legislative Council of the HKSAR with different opinions can cooperate and work together.
Kenneth Fok Kai-kong poses with actor Eric Tsang Chi-wai, his father Timothy Fok Tsun-ting and Sidney Chu, Hong Kong’s speed skater at the press conference for Winter Olympics on January 4, 2022. Photo: Xinhua
