The Foreign Correspondents' Club Hong Kong (FCC) held a luncheon on the theme "Whither Hong Kong's District Councils?" on Wednesday. Hong Kong's Legislative Councill member Joephy Chan, Sai Kung District Councillor Christine Fong, former Kwun Tong District Councillor Fred Li, and current Southern District Council Vice Chairman Paul Zimmerman were among those who discussed council reform.
Joephy Chan said in a social media post yesterday (June 15) that many questions asked at the event were directed at her, as she expected.
She said that some foreigners actually do not quite grasp the issue of District Council reform, and some foreign journalists still have misunderstandings about the concept behind the "illegal primary election."
According to Chan, although she encountered a lot of "attacks," she insisted on her position and gained a lot of foreigners' contact, and will further explain to foreigners the new policies and tell the good stories of HK.
Chan criticized Zimmerman for being biased against the government's plan to improve district governance. As the current Vice Chairman of the Southern District Council, he did not attend the district consultation meetings held by the government and refused to provide advice to the government directly.
Chan pointed out that when the British Hong Kong Government established the District Councils, they were already regarded as advisory bodies (which were then called "District Boards"), which also had an appointment system.
Chan reiterated that the District Council has only two powers, one is to receive consultation and the other is to provide services. She criticized certain opposition forces for constantly and deliberately misinterpreting the District Council reform and obfuscating the points, lashing out at their double standards.
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