District reform on agenda in minister's Beijing visit
Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs Alice Mak on Wednesday wrapped up a trip to Beijing, which included a visit to a top official. Mak said Xia Baolong, the director of the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office, praised her bureau's work in reforming district councils and affirmed the importance of the councils' role in helping people.  The home affairs chief said that during their meeting, Xia told her to continue to improve the councils' functionality, and ensure that the next polls will be conducted in an orderly and smooth manner. "Xia did not specifically mention the voter turnout rate," Mak said. "In fact, as I have often said, an election is not solely about the voter turnout rate, as it could be affected by various factors like rain or hot weather. "Therefore, the voter turnout rate is not the only factor to consider. The most crucial thing is to have an orderly and smooth election process that can elect suitable district council members who can serve their communities." Mak also said she had visited some of the hundreds of Hong Kong students currently in Beijing on subsidised exchange programmes. She said she was surprised by how well they have adapted to life on the mainland. “During our exchange with the interns, we were concerned about whether our Hong Kong students could adapt to the weather, living conditions and work environment in Beijing during their short internship. However, we were impressed by their excellence and how much they enjoyed their internship and also inspired by what they learned in various aspects of their work,” she said. When asked about the progress of legislation to regulate fake news, Mak said consultation work is nearing completion and recommendations will be made to the chief executive. Mak was expected to return to Hong Kong on Wednesday afternoon.