Zeman: EC polls form a good basis for brighter HK

China Daily talked to Allan Zeman, chairman of Lan Kwai Fong Group, on Hong Kong's Election Committee polls and the city's revamped electoral system on Sunday. Zeman, who was born in Germany, raised in Canada and became a naturalized Chinese citizen in 2008, shared his insights. Here is what he said.

Q: What do you think of the significance of the Election Committee elections held on Sunday?

A: I think that this is a very important time for Hong Kong because it will be the first time that everyone on the committee will be a patriot.

"Patriots administering Hong Kong" means that everybody in the Legislative Council will really be a patriot and really can get the LegCo moving again.

The problem in the past almost 24 years is that LegCo was stuck, because we had pan-democrats who were busy trying to stop every bill. So a bill needs three months, four months and five months to get passed. Hong Kong could not move ahead, many young people could see no future for themselves. There's a whole host of problems. I believe that this new Election Committee that is being formed will be the basis for a great, right future for Hong Kong.

Q: You are also a candidate for catering subsector, though it is an uncontested subsector. What's your expectation of the new Election Committee or what will you do?

A: I think that the expectation is that we can choose this time where the LegCo is expanding from 70 legislators to 90 and there's an extra sector (on the Election Committee). Before we had four sectors that voted. I think that this is a time that we and the LegCo can work together, everyone can pull together.

This is a time going forward. The future for Hong Kong is very bright because since the National Security Law for Hong Kong was instituted in July last year, things have been stable now and forward for Hong Kong people. There's a great opportunity with the stability.

Q: Anything else about the elections you want to share with us?

A: The only thing I'd like to share is that this election is the first one held under the city's electoral reform. It's a new thing for Hong Kong people. I said this before I call this the new, the real "1997". I really think that it has a chance to succeed. I really think it's time that we are going to finally have Hong Kong people working together and pulling together. We have more people coming from the mainland and from other countries and really still making Hong Kong the great city that it is.

So I believe Hong Kong has a very strong future. Now stronger than ever because of Qianhai (economic cooperation zone in Shenzhen), because of the Greater Bay Area, and because to really be a real part of China.