Hong Kong's new electoral system is a good system -- an exclusive interview with Qiang Shigong, vice president of the Hong Kong and Macao Institute of Peking University The picture shows posters for the Legislative Council election on the streets of Hong Kong. (photo source: People's vision) On December 19, 2021, the election of the seventh Legislative Council of the HKSAR was held. The picture shows many voters voting at the polling station of Huangyan college. Photo by Zhang Wei, reporter of China News Agency On December 20, all the election results of the seventh Legislative Council of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region were announced. The 90 members who were successfully elected will join the governance team of the Special Administrative Region at the important historical juncture of Hong Kong's transition from chaos to governance, from governance to prosperity, and be ready to go under the banner of "patriots governing Hong Kong". The democratic right of the majority of Hong Kong compatriots to be masters of their own affairs has been embodied, the principle of "patriots governing Hong Kong" has been implemented, and a political pattern of broad and balanced participation by all sectors of society has been established. This is the second important election practice in Hong Kong after improving the SAR election system. Under the new electoral system, the election of the election committee of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and the election of the seventh Legislative Council have been held successively and achieved success. What is the significance of the successful holding of the seventh Legislative Council election to the long-term stability and long-term stability of Hong Kong? Under the new electoral system, where is the broad representation, political inclusiveness, balanced participation and fair competition of the election reflected? How to implement the principle of "patriots governing Hong Kong"? The reporter interviewed Qiang Shigong, Professor of Peking University Law School, Minister of Social Sciences of Peking University and vice president of Hong Kong and Macao Research Institute of Peking University. The diverse membership structure of the new Legislative Council reflects the balance of political participation and can better reflect public opinion Reporter: under the new electoral system, the number of seats in the Legislative Council will increase from 70 to 90. Members will be elected through election committee elections, functional constituency elections and district direct elections. What is the difference between the three election methods? Qiang Shigong: as an important part of the governance structure of the Special Administrative Region, the Legislative Council undertakes the important responsibilities of formulating, amending and repealing laws according to law, examining and approving the budget. Whether it operates smoothly and is in the hands of patriots is related to the implementation of the comprehensive governance power of the central government and the high degree of autonomy of the Special Administrative Region, It has a bearing on the future development of Hong Kong and the well-being of its people. The new Legislative Council of the HKSAR will consist of 90 members, including 40 members elected by the election committee, 30 members elected by functional groups and 20 members directly elected by geographical constituencies. Among them, there are experienced senior politicians and talented young people; There are scholars, accountants, lawyers, construction workers, bus drivers and "Hong Kong drifters"... Behind the diverse sources of Representatives is the scientific and democratic election method. The 20 members directly elected by geographical constituencies mainly represent the interests of all regions. From the perspective of geographical space division, Hong Kong is mainly divided into three geographical divisions: Hong Kong Island, Kowloon and the new territories, which have formed different cultural and economic characteristics in history. For example, Hong Kong Island and Kowloon are highly commercialized, while the new territories is good at agriculture. By analogy, 10 constituencies are set up by district direct elections, and each constituency elects two members. 30 members elected by functional constituencies, mainly representing professional groups. The core idea of functional group election is "modern society is a society of occupational differentiation". Different occupations have different functions, demands and interests in society. Hong Kong is a developed international city with a very clear division of labor. Therefore, it can be divided into 28 sectors, including agriculture and fisheries, insurance, shipping and transportation, education and law. These members have become the "spokesmen" of different professions. 40 members elected by the election committee. The election committee itself is a complex of representatives from all walks of life in Hong Kong. It represents not only local interests, professional sectors and social organizations, but also the will of the state and the overall interests of Hong Kong. Among them, deputies to the National People's Congress, members of the Hong Kong people's Political Consultative Conference and representatives of national organizations can be said to represent the will of the country as a whole. The design of the election structure for members from these three channels can ensure that representatives from all walks of life, all sectors and all aspects can participate in the legislature, so as to ensure the balance of political participation, take into account the different interests of all sectors of Hong Kong society, better represent the overall interests of Hong Kong, protect the interests of all sectors and regions, and more fully reflect public opinion, It is more in line with the reality of Hong Kong. In this legislative council election, all 90 seats are contested, and no one is automatically elected, which has never happened since Hong Kong's return. The new election system makes the election campaign more rational, fair and orderly, pays more attention to the issues of people's livelihood and development, and pays more attention to the display of candidates' ability and quality. All candidates compete on the same platform and actively win the support of voters by comparing their expertise, platforms, ideas, responsibilities and contributions. The new electoral system returns the election to benign, rational, equal and clean competition, truly reflects the original intention of the election and truly seeks tangible benefits and well-being for the people of Hong Kong. The new Legislative Council has achieved the broadest unity under the banner of patriotism and love for Hong Kong. Practice has proved that Hong Kong's new electoral system is a good system Reporter: what were the loopholes in Hong Kong's electoral system in the past? In what aspects does the current legislative council election reflect the principle of "patriots ruling Hong Kong"? Qiang Shigong: in recent years, especially since the "storm of amending laws" in Hong Kong in 2019, anti china forces and local radical separatist forces have openly advocated "Hong Kong Independence" and wantonly carried out Anti China activities against Hong Kong through the Hong Kong election platform, the Legislative Council and District Council discussion platform or taking advantage of the identity of relevant public officials, trying to paralyze the operation of the Hong Kong Legislative Council, Obstruct the government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region from administering according to law. In addition, it also planned and implemented the so-called "primary elections" in a vain attempt to control the dominant power of the Hong Kong Legislative Council through elections, and then seize the power of governance in Hong Kong. Some foreign and overseas forces have openly intervened in Hong Kong's election affairs through legislative and administrative means, consulates in Hong Kong, non-governmental organizations and other channels, brutally imposed so-called "sanctions" on relevant personnel in China, and openly supported Hong Kong's Anti China and Hong Kong chaos forces. All kinds of chaos, disputes and political internal friction have slowed down the pace of government governance and hindered social development and the improvement of people's livelihood. The white paper on the democratic development of Hong Kong under "one country, two systems" points out that to ensure the steady and far-reaching practice of "one country, two systems" and continue to promote the democratic development of Hong Kong, we must resolutely implement the principle of "patriots governing Hong Kong". This is a fundamental principle that has a bearing on national sovereignty, security and development interests, and on Hong Kong's long-term prosperity and stability. Any Hong Kong resident can participate in the election and governance of Hong Kong according to law as long as he adheres to the position of loving the country and Hong Kong and does not engage in activities endangering national sovereignty, security, development interests and Hong Kong's prosperity and stability. On November 11, 2020, the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress adopted the decision on the qualification of members of the Legislative Council of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, which made it clear that members of the Legislative Council had committed other acts endangering national security because they advocated or supported the idea of "Hong Kong Independence", refused to recognize the state's ownership and exercise of sovereignty over Hong Kong, sought foreign or foreign forces to interfere in the affairs of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, or committed other acts, Those who do not meet the statutory requirements and conditions for upholding the basic law of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the people's Republic of China and allegiance to the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the people's Republic of China will immediately lose their qualification as members of the Legislative Council once recognized according to law. This has further clarified the legal qualification of serving as a member of the Legislative Council and improved the relevant systems and mechanisms. Applications for the election of the seventh Legislative Council of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region were enthusiastic. A total of 153 candidates passed the qualification examination, of which about half participated in the public office election for the first time. Among them are not only elites from the business, academic and professional circles, but also representatives of workers, staff and small and medium-sized enterprise operators from the grass-roots level. Fan xulitai, a member of the candidate qualification Committee and former president of the Legislative Council, said that the 153 candidates who passed the examination came from different backgrounds and had a wide political spectrum, but none of them had participated in acts against Hong Kong and the state in their past public records. Under the new electoral system, the newly established Qualification Committee for candidates of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region is responsible for examining and confirming the qualifications of candidates for members of the Legislative Council. On the premise of ensuring that the candidates meet the Patriot standard, the members of the election committee will fully consider the factors such as public opinion acceptance and governance ability, and then decide whether to let them "enter the gate". Patriots must sincerely safeguard national sovereignty, security and development interests, respect and safeguard the constitutional order determined by the Constitution and the basic law, and maintain the prosperity and stability of Hong Kong. Such an election mechanism can effectively exclude Anti China elements from the governance structure of the Special Administrative Region and keep the governance power of the Special Administrative Region firmly in the hands of patriots, which is conducive to resisting various political risks and promoting smooth communication between the executive and the legislature. The newly elected legislative council is not "mono", but "stereo". The emphasis on "patriots ruling Hong Kong" does not mean that those who hold different views or advocates are not allowed to exist, nor does it mean that the voice of criticizing the government is suppressed. Hong Kong's democracy has sufficient room for inclusiveness and can not be "one color". Instead, we should achieve the broadest unity under the banner of patriotism and love for Hong Kong, constantly expand the scope of unity, enhance inclusiveness, and build the broadest "one country, two systems" united front. The Communist Party of China and the Chinese government are the designers, founders, defenders and promoters of Hong Kong's democratic system. The situation of "patriots governing Hong Kong" will be more stable Reporter: please introduce the history of democratic elections in Hong Kong. What is the biggest driving force in Hong Kong's democratic process? Qiang Shigong: Hong Kong's democratic development can be roughly divided into three historical stages. During the British colonial rule, there was no democracy in Hong Kong. Britain directly appoints the governor to govern Hong Kong on behalf of Britain and has never consulted the people of Hong Kong. The governor is only responsible to the United Kingdom and is fully subject to the orders of the British government. He is granted the supreme powers and privileges in Hong Kong and is not subject to any local restrictions. In the face of the constant democratic demands of Hong Kong society, the British government refused or ignored them. For a long period of time, people in Hong Kong have repeatedly proposed the establishment of a City Council, or the reorganization of the Legislative Council, the establishment of democratically elected seats in the Legislative Council, and the implementation of local autonomy, which have been rejected by the British government. In the late 1970s and early 1980s, the Chinese government decided to recover Hong Kong, resume the exercise of sovereignty over Hong Kong, and implement the principles of "one country, two systems", "Hong Kong people ruling Hong Kong" and a high degree of autonomy. Therefore, it drew a blueprint for the development of democracy in Hong Kong after its return and opened a new era of democracy in Hong Kong under "one country, two systems". It is worth noting that there is no content of "universal suffrage" in the 1984 Sino British Joint Declaration on Hong Kong's elections. Universal suffrage for the chief executive and the Legislative Council is clearly stipulated in the basic law formulated by the National People's Congress, and the previous representative reform of the British Hong Kong government was also agreed with the central government through consultation. It can be seen that the central government is the founder of Hong Kong's democratic development. After the "storm of amending regulations" in 2019, the central government sized up the situation, made decisive decisions, took a series of major measures to put order, and led and promoted the situation and democratic development of Hong Kong back on track. On May 27, 2021, the Legislative Council of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region passed the improvement of the electoral system (comprehensive amendment) Ordinance 2021 to restructure the election committee and provide for the chief executive and the Legislative Council