CE 'touched' by Xi Jinping's speech
Chief Executive John Lee said he was ‘deeply touched’ by President Xi Jinping’s speech on Sunday after he was re-elected as General Secretary of the Communist Party. In a social media post, Lee said he was particularly moved by Xi’s vow for the party to always work alongside the people no matter the circumstances are. The president had said “We will always ride out the storm with the people and stay heart to heart with them. Taking their priorities as ours and acting on their wishes, we will continue the hard work to turn their aspiration for a better life into a living reality.” The CE said he would likewise strive to lead his administration in building a Hong Kong that is more united and full of hope, while stressing that the territory must follow the path laid out by the just-concluded 20th National Congress of the Communist Party to better integrate into the mainland’s development plans and break new ground in the next five years. Meanwhile, Hong Kong’s sole representative on the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress, Tam Yiu-chung, said the new party leadership features an ‘excellent’ lineup of experienced officials. "Every member is very experienced in holding leading positions. Many have been top leaders in major provinces or direct-administered municipalities. So it will be absolutely fine for such experienced people to lead the country," he told RTHK. Li Qiang, Cai Qi and Li Xi – three of the new appointees to the elite body – have served as party secretaries in Beijing, Shanghai and Guangdong respectively. All are seen to be close to Xi Jinping, and assistant professor Liu Dongshu from the City University's Department of Public and International Affairs said it appears that only those who have gained Xi’s trust had gained a seat on the Politburo Standing Committee. “I can imagine that the priority [of the party] will be exactly what Xi Jinping said in his work report,” Liu said. He added that there will be much attention on the new leaders' ability to manage the economy amid a slowdown in growth.