HK on road to assured future led by patriots

Leung Chun-ying, vice-chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, believes the improved electoral system will pave the way for the city to fully implement the principle of "patriots governing Hong Kong".

In an interview with Xinhua News Agency on Monday, Leung said that after the improvements are made, those who are unpatriotic to the country would be screened out of the governance structure－effectively enhancing administrative quality and safeguarding national interests.

He added that there would still be room for constructive suggestions and criticism, but never for radical attempts to topple the government.

Rita Fan Hsu Lai-tai, a former Hong Kong member of the NPC Standing Committee, believes its proposal will prevent Hong Kong from "falling into the abyss" again, as it did in 2019.

Fan, also the first president of the Hong Kong SAR Legislative Council, said in an interview with China Daily on Monday that after the city fully implements the "patriots governing Hong Kong" principle with the electoral improvements, Hong Kong will return to the path of democracy with its own characteristics.

She said the city would eventually have universal suffrage under the framework of "one country, two systems" in accordance with the Basic Law, but it would never achieve democracy if riots and separatism were left unchecked.