Opinion | Our education and honor to serve city and nation

By Augustus K. Yeung

INTRODUCTION

Few delegates of NPC have taken the trouble to write about their experience, much less about the achievements of the nation, sharing knowledge about and understanding of it. I have found this article titled, "Education and honor to serve city and nation" inspiring and educational, making it a school "hidden curriculum" and considering the city's role in the geopolitics of the Asia-Pacific region.

US general Douglas MacArthur's Farewell Speech was regarded as one of the greatest speeches ever made. But when compared with that of Bernard Chan, a local businessman and former Convenor of Executive Council, the reader will find that it pales the American general's, which identifies three elements that define a person's qualities: "Duty, Honor, Country".

Bernard Chan's article is far more informative and inspiring than that of MacArthur's which has failed to inspire his West Point graduates; the language used was too ornate. The following is an abridged version of his article, "Education and honor to serve city and nation".

Structure and Functions of China's National People's Congress

"[The] election ushers in 36 new deputies to represent Hong Kong in the NPC – the National People's Congress. When I was first elected in the NPC in January 2008, we were in the midst of the country's 11th five-year plan and Hu Jintao was president. Three five-year terms and 15 years later, I am retiring from the NPC with President Xi Jinping in power…"

"It has been an extraordinary and enlightening journey to be part of the NPC, China's highest organ of state power. When I first started, I had less-than-optimal knowledge about China, China's political governance and its ambitious plans."

"To be involved in the supervising enforcement of the nation's constitution, enacting laws, and reviewing and approving national economic and social development plans for a nation of 1.4 billion people was heady stuff.

"Meeting once a year for about two weeks, the NPC votes on important legislation and personnel assignments, among other items. Due to the limited nature of annual plenary sessions, the NPC delegates power to the NPC Standing Committee, which comprises 175 members and typically holds session once every two months when the NPC is not in session," said Bernard Chan.

"When China Does Something, It Does it Big and Bold …"

"Meeting a multitude of ethnic minorities with divergent views was educational, as I initially had a counterfactual view of China's population as being quite homogeneous. I was heartened as well to see all the ethnic minorities represented in the nation's lawmaking arm."

"I also learned that the five-year plans are not just hopes on a page, but actual templates for action and completion. When China does something, it does it big and bold …with goals from building out tens of thousands of kilometers of high-speed rail, to moving entire coastal regions from being the "world's factory" to hubs of research and development and service, to moving up the value chain by innovation-driven technology development, to attaining carbon neutrality no later than 2060.

"I was most impressed by audacity of the goal in late 2015 of eradicating extreme poverty in China by the end of 2020, especially given that it would involve lifting more than 70 million people out of poverty within five years…

"The Chinese government officially committed to the goal and pledged to eliminate the "two worries" (inadequate food and clothing) and provide "three guarantees" (access to healthcare, education and housing)."

"Who can fail to be astounded by the bigger picture in just 40 years, China has lifted close to 800 million people above the international poverty line as defined by the World Bank. This is equivalent to over two times the population of the United States, and accounts for close to 70 percent of the global reduction in extreme poverty.

"I was humbled by the scale and breadth of issues facing the nation and by how much proficiency I need to gain to be well-versed in my understanding of the challenges and opportunities.

"Serving on the NPC also gave me perspective on Hong Kong. At the end of the day, we are a small city among China's 1.4 billion people. If Hong Kong is to cement its role in the world's most populous country and second-largest economy, we need to learn more about the complexities of China. If we are to serve as a connector to the mainland, we need to learn about its challenges and how we can add value..." (Source: SCMP)

CONCLUSION

This article is educational; it informs the readers about the structure and functions of the NPC which is relatively unknown to the people of Hong Kong.

It is written by a community leader who said he is "honored" to be an NPC delegate. But he does not go around boasting about his status, inviting friends and relatives to celebrate his great personal achievement as some people did.

Most important of all, Mr. Chan's realization that the city government is now closely aligned with the central government must assume a new role "in the world's most populous country and second-largest economy, we need to learn about its challenges" and "how we can add value".

Learning about China's challenges is a necessary school curriculum for our new generation, which has been misled since the handover in 1997.

The issue of "how we can add value" is equally important as the city has until now failed to realize its strategic importance in geopolitics while the United States is pivoting to the Asia-Pacific region. For example, Hong Kong can play a significant role in philanthropically helping the ten member states of ASEAN, notably the Philippines whose ties with China and Hong Kong must be better built and strategically strengthened to counter any anti-China US influence and domination.

This way, the city can fully and actively assist China by being kind to, generous with and doing quality good things for our pragmatic Asian neighbors.

 

The author is a freelance writer; formerly Adjunct Lecturer, taught MBA Philosophy of Management, and International Strategy, and online columnist of 3-D Corner (HKU SPACE), University of Hong Kong.

The views do not necessarily reflect those of DotDotNews.

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