'Great Honour' To Be NPCSC Deputy: Starry Lee

DAB party chairwoman Starry Lee on Saturday described it as a “great honour” becoming the youngest Hong Kong deputy to sit on the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress (NPC), as she vowed to serve as a communication bridge between the SAR and Beijing.

Lee succeeds her retiring party colleague Tam Yiu-chung as the SAR’s sole delegate to the country’s top legislature with 2,901 votes.

Speaking at a virtual media briefing in Beijing, Lee said she will focus on building ties between Hong Kong and the rest of the Greater Bay Area after taking office.

“I am planning to integrate further into the Greater Bay Area especially because this is a great opportunity, [given that] we don’t have any quarantine requirement right now,” she said.

“I will make use of this position, through different talks or seminars or sharings, to let Hong Kong people understand more about the policy carried by our central government.”

NPC deputy and DAB lawmaker Rock Chen said he believes the party chair is the right fit given her years of experience in Hong Kong's legislature.

“She knows Hong Kong very well, so she’s in a position to take advantage of and also capture all the opportunities on the mainland, while helping our motherland to tackle and overcome all the challenges both domestically and internationally,” he said.

Another NPC deputy and finance sector lawmaker Ronick Chan echoed his views.

“She is a veteran political figure who has served both in the District Council and Legislative Council for many years with in-depth knowledge about Hong Kong’s livelihood issues. I believe she’s able to act as a good communication bridge between our motherland and Hong Kong,” he said.

Asked about a possible conflict with her current duties in Hong Kong's Legislative Council, Lee said she will liaise with her co-workers to sort out her priorities.