'Unanimous Vote Shows All 1.4bn People Want Xi'

Hong Kong politicians on Friday hailed the re-election of Xi Jinping as president, saying this is the wish of all Chinese people and carries special significance for Hong Kong.

Former National People's Congress Standing Committee member Tam Yiu-chung said the unanimous vote by 2,952 NPC members to re-elect Xi shows he has the support of everyone in China.

"This fully reflects the common wish of the 1.4 billion people of China," he said. "People want President Xi to continue to lead the country and the people."

Basic Law Committee vice-chairwoman Maria Tam echoed Tam Yiu-chung's views, adding that Xi's re-election is especially significant for Hong Kong.

"Last year at the ceremony of the 25th anniversary of Hong Kong's return, he said clearly the One Country, Two Systems principle, being the good system it is, wouldn't need to change," she said, adding that indicated the system could continue beyond 2047.

A local deputy to the National People's Congress, Ronick Chan, expressed the same views, saying he believes Hongkongers welcome Xi's new term as president.

"He always cares about Hong Kong and I think his re-election will be welcomed by Hong Kong people because he affirmed the One Country, Two Systems [principle] has no reason to change and it must be adhered to over the long-run," he said.

Another NPC deputy, Priscilla Leung, said she believes Xi will lead the country towards a "new era" in his third term, and in the meantime Hong Kong people should think about how they can do more for the country.