News

The political environment is constantly changing, and leaders need to adapt and grow. The sixth session of the Senior Executive Diploma "Political Leadership" of the Hong Kong Academy of Politics and Administration has come to a successful conclusion. I would like to thank Chief Secretary for Administration Chan Kwok-kee for his encouragement and wish the new batch of graduates to shine in different positions in society🧑‍🎓.

When I met the Youth Association when I was young, the mock legislative training was discontinued. I never thought that I would be able to restart the course as a tutor this summer 👨🏻‍🏫. In addition to understanding the legislative system and focusing on improving their deliberation skills, students also heard from the Secretary-General of the Legislative Council, Chen Wei-an, about the work of maintaining the operation of the parliament. The person who presided over the mock meeting was Legislative Council member Luk Han-min. It turned out that he was a student 20 years ago, which is a reflection of the "moisturizing and silent" work of students. Come to think of it, the political discussion series that my friends and I have been working on in the past few years has trained almost a hundred high school students. If we persist, it is not impossible that a real congressman will emerge one day😆.

The Council on Democratic Ideas submitted a "Policy Address" proposal to Chief Executive Lee Ka-chiu. We advocate formulating a long-term economic development strategy, systematically promoting Hong Kong to the outside world as "livable, safe, diverse and full of opportunities", and establishing an international-level advocacy training The center, as well as the government, business and people, work together to conserve and revitalize patriotic cultural relics. Director of the Department of Justice Lam Ting-kwok, Director of the Chief Executive's Office Ip Man-juan, and Chief Executive Policy Team Leader Huang Yuan-shan attended the meeting.

Thanks to my friend's invitation, I have suddenly become active in the debate community recently. Watching primary and secondary school students compete in multiple rounds of the "Future Cup" and "Contest Cup", the discussions on the final day ranged from how to keep promises, balance tradition and innovation, to how to revive Hong Kong's tourism industry and promote cooperation between Shenzhen and Hong Kong. The students showed their wisdom and enthusiasm , making the judges confident in the future and looking forward to the debate stage continuing to cultivate a new generation of people who care about Hong Kong!

Had an amazing time at the Youth Foreign Affairs Literacy Academy, where I got to guide over a hundred primary and secondary students through the fascinating history of our nation's foreign relations. For the younger kids, we explored the lives of eight incredible diplomats from our past and present, focusing on themes like economic trade, cultural exchange, diplomatic recognition, and territorial defense. The older students dove into the peaceful rise of modern China, learning about unique forms of soft diplomacy like panda diplomacy and the Luban Workshop. I hope these young minds take this knowledge and shine on the international stage in the future!

With major elections unfolding in the West that are shaping global dynamics, we were privileged to host a timely discussion at PoD's office. Professor Yves Sintomer and Dr. Benjamin Taunay, Director of the French Centre for Research on Contemporary China, provided valuable insights that deepened our understanding and strengthened connections among researchers in Hong Kong and beyond. We thank both esteemed guests for their invaluable contributions.

Young scholars from Indonesia's Sebelas Maret University and an economist from HKTDC visited our institute to share insights on economic ties between ASEAN and China. Southeast Asia has become an unintended winner of Sino-US trade tensions and carried over two-thirds of trade under the Belt and Road Initiative. Indonesia is a resource-rich country. We explored how Hong Kong can strengthen cooperation with Indonesia and facilitate bilateral trade and investment between mainland China and ASEAN.

As we came to ICH June (intangible cultural heritage), Hongkong Young Historian Institute and Shanghai-Hong Kong Development Institute proudly concluded the Hong Kong Cultural Heritage Conservation Youth Training Programme on the National Cultural and Natural Heritage Day. The ceremony was graced by the presence of Kevin Yeung, Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism, and Prof Lau Chi Pang, Chairman of the Huaxia Foundation. Together, they awarded certificates to winning student teams, celebrating the protection and inheritance of our profound Chinese traditions.

Over the past nine years, Path of Democracy has endured a challenging start and growth. Today symbolises ‘the end of the beginning.’ We were honoured by the presence of Chief Executive John Lee at our gala dinner, where he commended our unwavering commitment to our mission. Through research, dialogue, and engagement, we have built trust and solved problems. EduHK's Prof Anthony Cheung and HKU's Prof Richard Wong shared their insights on HK's economic development. Senior officials including KK Chan, Secretary for Administration, Paul Lam, Secretary for Justice, and Winnie Ho, Secretary for Housing, were all witnesses to this momentous occasion. As our think tank moves on, we will continue to leverage our expertise and experience to establish connections with the international community, aspiring to become a think tank of national, and eventually, international repute.

Path of Democracy and the Hong Kong Academy of Politics and Public Policy have just wrapped up our fourth insightful trip to Beijing. We were warmly welcomed by Director Xia Baolong of the State Council’s HK and Macau Affairs Office, who talked about future development of our city's prosperity. We continued our journey to China’s legislature, top universities and leading think tanks, sparking discussions on constitutional education and Hong Kong’s international role. Another highlight was a wonderful evening with fellow Hongkongers exchanging stories of their life as 'Beijing drifters'. Truly grateful that our academy students get to witness how Beijing’s policymakers view HK affairs firsthand!