Studio interview: Role as member of Executive Council

Watch Video

Play Video

A new government takes office in Hong Kong on Sunday. That includes the Executive Council. The Council is a core policy-making organ, the cabinet, if you will. The SAR Chief Executive serves as its President. With us in the studio today is Bernard Chan, who's just been appointed to the Council for a second time. He's also a Deputy of China's National People's Congress and President of Asia Financial Holdings. Mr. Chan will talk about some of the crucial issues facing Hong Kong today.

Bernard Chan, who's just been appointed to the Council for a second time. He's also a Deputy of China's National People's Congress and President of Asia Financial Holdings.

Q1. This is your 2nd time as an Executive Council member. Has your role changed?

Q2. There's a lot of talk about Hong Kongers looking for their identity. How to make sure that in the process of the search, one does not limit his/her vision but rather broaden it?

Q3. There are very different opinions in Hong Kong on what its relations should be like with Beijing. How do you look at those differences?

Q4. The Mainland is getting increasingly competitive and influential with the rest of the world. What does this mean for Hong Kong? How would you answer those who warn Hong Kong will be left behind?

Q5. What's Hong Kong's relevance to the Mainland as the latter grows? And to the rest of the world?

Q6. What are the things that Hong Kong has to get right? Some of the long-term challenges: wealth gap, rising real estate prices, and an ageing society. What does it take to resolve them?

Q7. Hong Kong is proud about its freedom of expression. Is the city accurately portrayed by the press?

Q8. Some suggest it's not as open as before, others suggest that there's in fact too much selective information. Your views?

Q9. What do you suggest to continue building public confidence about Hong Kong's future?