Liaison Office chief seeks HK communities' views

HONG KONG - The central government's top official in Hong Kong made extensive visits to various grassroots communities to listen to local people's concerns and grievances on Thursday, the day before the 72nd anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China.

Luo Huining, director of the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, knocked on the doors of families living in subdivided flats and bedspace apartments — following his practice on National Day last year. He also met with young entrepreneurs and mom-and-pop shop owners, and patients and employees of a mainland-backed community clinic.

The Liaison Office values input from representatives of different sectors, but it puts more emphasis on keeping an ear to the ground, Luo said.

As long as a people-centered approach is adhered to, any problem can be solved, step by step, Luo said while meeting tenants in a subdivided flat, whose per-capita living space is less than 2 square meters.

In his chat with local fishermen, Luo said the central government is very concerned about the development prospects of Hong Kong's fisheries, and has promulgated new regulations to optimize the management of fishing vessels from the HKSAR.

He said he hopes that the sector can make good use of the support policies to develop a "modern fishery" in Hong Kong.

At Cyberport, a digital technology community in Telegraph Bay, Luo commended the creativity and vision of Hong Kong's young entrepreneurs.

He praised them for "keeping abreast of the times", as the national 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-25) envisioned Hong Kong's development as an international inno-tech center. He encouraged them to seek cooperation and expansion on the mainland to reach a broader market.

During his visit to a free clinic sponsored by Shanghai Industrial Investment, Luo said that mainland companies, as practitioners of the "one country, two systems" principle, have been actively fulfilling their social responsibilities in Hong Kong, including ensuring sufficient supplies of commodities and promoting youth employment.

Tang Ka-piu, a member of the Hong Kong Federation of Trade Unions, the city's largest labor group, said Luo's remark reminded him of the spirit of China's poverty alleviation that "no one must be left behind".

He said that the HKSAR government must take the initiative to resolve the issue in a responsible manner. Luckily, Hong Kong has taken on a culture of "pragmatism and problem-solving" following the implementation of the "patriots administering Hong Kong" principle under the reformed electoral system, he added.

Various political parties, organizations, and newly appointed Election Committee members have put forward proposals on the land provision or industrial policies to the 2021 Policy Address, which will be released on Wednesday.

Marco Liu, a co-founder and executive convener of civic group New Prospect for Hong Kong, said he greatly appreciates the efforts made by the central government officials, which signaled the need for a people-centered approach in Hong Kong's governance.

He said he hope that the governing team in Hong Kong and all sectors of the community will understand the goodwill of the central government and work wholeheartedly for the well-being of the people of Hong Kong.