CHINA DAILY | HONG KONG EDITION Monday, October 12, 2020 | 7 COMMENTHK

Editor’s note: China Daily Hong Kong Edition has launched a photo-shar- ing campaign on Instagram. You can share your photos by tagging #hk24hr, and we’ll choose the best ones to publish in the newspaper. CE Policy Address should Engrossed A masked boy busy with his smartphone sits on a luggage cart show courage to tackle inside the Tai Po wet market. EDMOND TANG / deep-rooted problems CHINA DAILY

Tony Kwok says the lack of accountability among professional union groups that enables subversive behavior, threatens security needs to be addressed

he recent announce- that the chief executive announces ment by the Hong drastic steps in her policy speech to Kong Police Force rectify this aberration which impacts on the accreditation national security. She should con- HK must keep up with mainland of reporters to cover sider setting up a board of governors its events and opera- to replace the current toothless advi- tions is overdue and Tony Kwok sory council, to take over the supervi- pledge on carbon neutrality target The author is an adjunct professor of to be applauded. Henceforth, it will sion of the station. She could have HKU Space, and a council member of allow only government-registered the Government Information Service n Sept 22, President Xi Jinping pro- T the Chinese Association of Hong Kong taking over the news department of news media, and internationally and Macao Studies. vided a pleasant surprise to the nation recognized and renowned foreign RTHK, or at least form a joint unit and the world. He announced China’s media to perform their duties dur- The National Security so that the government voice can be pledge to achieve carbon neutrality by ing police operations. For most of properly disseminated to the public. O2060. last year’s violent social unrest, there Law has restored stabil- To rectify the massive waste of Not to be overlooked, he also addressed the were far too many instances of fake resources by the three television United Nations Summit on Biodiversity on Sept journalists — some were practically ity at the street level and channels of RTHK, which enjoys 30, where he called on the world to reverse biodi- Christine Loh child reporters — actively engaged “removed the tumor” a TV viewership rating of close to versity loss. The author is a former under-secretary for in obstructing police operations, zero, one of the channels can simply It was probably too late for Hong Kong Chief environment and a legislative councillor. She acting as lookouts, assisting the riot- that almost killed our be dedicated to televising Chinese Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor to redraft is also chief development strategist at the In- stitute for the Environment at the Hong Kong ers to escape, and some even laying society, but many deep- national and local sports, which is her Policy Address to be presented on Oct 14, but ambush attacks on police at close a pleasant and e ective way to pro- that is what she could have considered doing. University of Science and Technology. quarters! Members of the public rooted subversive “can- mote national pride and patriotism. Perhaps there is still time to add a few lines or say watched all this, helpless with much This has actually been proposed by something on the day if it is too late for insertions business on energy saving and “smart” energy gnashing of teeth, and called on cer cells” remain in our the local sports fraternity but has in the printed version. management. the Hong Kong Special Administra- body and pose a serious fallen on deaf ears at RTHK and its The carbon neutrality pledge and biodiversity Thus, buildings must be much more energy tive Region government to set up policy bureau secretary. message have an immediate impact on our closest e cient. In Hong Kong, our buildings use 90 per- a proper journalist accreditation threat. ... this coming The third deep-rooted problematic neighbors in Guangdong province, as they will be cent of the electricity and emit about 60 percent system to no avail. In the event, it organization is the Hong Kong Medi- expected to be part of the national push on tech- of the carbon emissions. was the Commissioner of Police year is a golden opportu- cal Association. Its chairman, Dr nological transformation with decarbonization at The chief executive should ask the Develop- Chris Tang Ping-keung who grabbed nity for the CE to conduct Gabriel Choi Kin, and his council’s the core, and on ecological improvement. ment Bureau to immediately review, update and the bull by the horns and declared experts have been continuously criti- With the national 14th Five Year Plan 2021-25 reform all the city’s laws and regulations relating that press passes issued by the Hong a comprehensive “che- cizing the SAR government’s e orts being worked on before being unveiled to guide to buildings to ensure our buildings are as energy Kong Journalist Association are no in fi ghting COVID-19, practically development, it is likely that some parts will be e cient as possible. Indoor comfort and health longer valid to cover police events motherapy treatment” to belittling almost every government strengthened in light of the new emphases. China should also be thrown into the mix. and operations. eradicate all remaining initiative. One typical example is will push decarbonization and biodiversity in all The obvious opportunity lies with our 42,000 In hindsight, it’s easy to see the his objection to the universal com- future fi ve-year plans. existing buildings, many of which can be retrofi t- prevalence of child reporters, as social cancer cells. munity COVID-19 testing program While Hong Kong and Macao have a large mea- ted according to timelines to achieve much higher anyone can get an HKJA press pass and his counter proposal that the sure of autonomy in crafting their own develop- levels of energy e ciency and indoor comfort and by merely paying a nominal fee of though these teachers have demon- government should instead give a ment, cooperation under the Guangdong-Hong health. The government needs to collaborate with HK$20 ($2.6), without having to strated clearly their unsuitability to HK$3,000 coupon to each citizen to Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area initiative means private property companies, as well as public sec- present any proof of relevant train- teach our innocent children, the EDB enable them to get the test done in the two special administrative regions need to tor bodies that build and manage public housing. ing or work experience. The police have not meted out any punishment private hospitals and laboratories, ride the wave of national decarbonization in order Complementary e orts include electrifying commissioner should not only be on any of these teachers, except one which in e ect means siphoning to not be left behind in their economic and social transport in order to reduce oil products con- praised for fi nally nipping this joke announced recently. None of them HK$22.5 billion in taxpayers’ money development. sumption, which is another form of fossil fuel. in the bud, but his decisive action has received anything harsher than into the pockets of private medical To achieve carbon neutrality within 40 years On the mainland, rail, cars, trucks, vans and even should be emulated by other policy an advice, a reprimand or warning practitioners! Many of its members is about as big a policy and societal challenge as ships will have to be powered by electricity, which secretaries as they struggle with sim- letters. What is worse is that the EDB had shamelessly participated in the one could get for China, the world’s largest carbon represents another enormous transition. In Hong ilarly intractable problems caused by would not reveal their identities to medical strike in the midst of the emitter. China has half of the world’s coal power Kong, it is fi nally time for transport o cials to get the anti-government elements in our the public, on the ground of privacy COVID-19 crisis, but the association capacity and this high-carbon fuel still accounts on board. midst. concerns. But how about the protec- took no disciplinary action against for 58 percent of China’s energy consumption and For the fi nancial secretary and o cials in Actually, the HKJA was by no tion of our innocent children from such irresponsible behavior which 66 percent of its electricity generation. charge of commerce, trade, fi nance, tourism and means the only prominent organiza- brainwashing by these unscrupulous badly besmirches our medical sec- The question for the current and all future chief also innovation and technology, it will not be tion that was allowed to carry on its teachers and the right of the parents tor’s previously enviable reputation. executives and principal o cials, including the enough to think along traditional lines of “pil- disruptive agenda for so long despite to know which schools have these What the chief executive can do in fi nancial secretary, is how they take the national lar industries” comprising trading and logistics, its obvious subversive nature. In fact, problematic teachers so that they her policy address is to override the pledge to heart and transform Hong Kong. fi nancial services, professional and producer this had long been a serious simmer- can avoid them in selecting the right blatant protectionism of the Medical The fi rst thing to realize is that climate change services, and tourism. Each of them will have to ing problem in our society that was school for their children! Association and announce a program is not an environmental matter to be kept in a refocus from the perspective of decarbonization being tolerated since unifi cation. In contrast, all professional unions, similar to Singapore’s to bring in silo. It is the urgent national stimulant to trans- and ecological sustainability. They were even deemed by some as such as The Hong Kong Medical large numbers of oversees qualifi ed form the economy to take a massive leap in tech- In logistics, Hong Kong needs to be part of the untouchables in view of their infl u- Council and the Hong Kong Law medical doctors, which is a quick nological and management advancement that global e ort to decarbonize shipping and avia- ence. It took President Xi Jinping, Society, would promptly make public and e ective way to address our will also create new jobs and prosperity. tion since the city is a shipping and aviation hub. during his trip to Hong Kong for any substantiated disciplinary cases serious shortage of doctors in public The magnitude of the mainland’s pledge will The shock of COVID-19 is already pushing supply the celebration of the SAR’s 20th concerning their members, with full hospitals. reverberate domestically and internationally. It chains to digitalize, and the same is true for the anniversary in early July 2017, to disclosure of the subject’s identity, Finally, in response to the huge is just beginning to be digested around the world logistic and banking chains that support trade. highlight this intractable problem. believing that such transparency public concern over our judiciary, the and will a ect energy, commodities and fi nancial Financial services are starting to go ‘green’ In a thinly-veiled warning to senior is in the public interest and should chief executive should announce in markets for decades to come. around the world. China’s decarbonization is a HKSAR government o cials, he override the right to privacy of their her policy address the setting up of China will have to phase out fossil fuel usage in multitrillion-dollar opportunity, and professional said: “Any public o cials avoiding members. The only reason the EDB an independent review committee to power generation and in its heavy industries, in and producer services will want to serve that their responsibilities should be a real did not do so is because they were look into the various controversial particular the energy guzzling steel, cement, fertil- transformation. Climate adaptation infrastructure shame for the rest of their lives.” His afraid to upset the powerful HKPTU! defi ciencies a ecting our judicial and izer and petrochemical plants. and biodiversity are also increasingly important warning against shirkers cannot be Chief Executive Carrie Lam legal system, such as the need for Hong Kong is already phasing down coal and investment areas. Instead of just thinking about more direct! Cheng Yuet-ngor should consider an independent judiciary complaint replacing it with natural gas. It now has to think green bonds, blue bonds are also being developed Others on this list of subversive including in her policy address the authority, a sentencing council, the further out than 2030 because it has to phase out to improve water and ocean-related cleanups. public bodies include the Hong Kong establishment of a statutory teach- abuse of judicial review and the legal natural gas too, which is a fossil fuel. Tourism too has to rethink how to dematerial- Professional Teachers Union, which ers disciplinary board, similar to aid system. Such an announcement China will massively increase renewable energy ize — that is refocus on lower-carbon experiences has been aiding and abetting the those disciplinary boards of other should not be viewed as trespassing sources and nuclear power. Estimates are that by rather than rampant consumption. Our country brainwashing of our children with professional bodies. The board can on the independence of the judiciary. 2060, these sources will have to generate around and marine parks can be extended and much bet- anti-China and separatism thoughts take complaints from the public on Many common law jurisdictions have 70 percent of power. At the same time, China will ter protected; and heritage and arts and cultural through their teachers, politiciz- misconduct of teachers, can carry conducted such reviews to bring their push and ramp up the development of new fuels, activities have good potential too. Hong Kong as ing school campuses, inciting the out enquiries and if substantiated, judiciary and the legal system cur- such as hydrogen and bioenergy — including fuel a food paradise could observe sustainability and hatred of police over alleged police conduct disciplinary hearings and rent with changing circumstances of from waste, as well as develop technologies for no-waste as operational defaults. brutality, and encouraging children announce the results of substanti- the society, to enhance their public carbon capture to be used or stored. The decarbonization and biodiversity implica- to participate in destructive riot- ated cases to the public, including accountability and credibility, and it China’s pledge requires Hong Kong to rethink tions are profound for Hong Kong. It has to rei- ing and violence. Thanks to these the full identities of the teachers and is time for Hong Kong to do the same. its entire energy future. It has to work with its magine its development pathway. The good news teachers, over 4,000 students have name of the school. In fact, such an The National Security Law has electricity and gas companies to design a long- is these are the things that attract and inspire been arrested for o ences related to arrangement should be welcomed restored stability at the street term plan for that eventuality, which will require the younger generations. The chief executive and the unrest, of which 17 percent are by HKPTU as it had been criticizing level and “removed the tumor” that collaboration with Guangdong, as Hong Kong principal o cials should be open-minded about under the age of 18. According to the the EDB’s disciplinary procedure on almost killed our society, but many has the option to buy more power from the recrafting their policy narratives toward new Education Bureau, over 100 teach- teachers for its “lack of transparency deep-rooted subversive “cancer cells” mainland’s grid instead of generating its own frameworks rather than repeating tired ones. ers were arrested during the riots. and fairness”. remain in our body and pose a seri- electricity. An immediate announcement is required to Apart from those arrested, the EDB The other organization that the ous threat. With the postponement Its own capacity can also become part of the get the waste charging bill back to the legislature has received 247 reports of miscon- public are gnashing their teeth over of the Legislative Council election regional grid but since the Chinese mainland is and passed so that no more time is lost for Hong duct of teachers, including principal is public broadcaster Radio Televi- and the weakening of the opposition moving to carbon neutrality, Hong Kong’s power Kong. grades. Of those, 204 cases have sion Hong Kong. Nowhere in the political parties, this coming year is and gas companies have to redefi ne their business Actually, all of the above provides a good restart been investigated, and 131 of them world would one fi nd such a ridicu- a golden opportunity for the CE to future to fi t in within a timeframe of three to four for Hong Kong after our most polarizing protests substantiated. Many were found to lous setup as one where a govern- conduct a comprehensive “chemo- decades. of 2019 and COVID-19 this year. Let decarboniza- have published anti-police slogans ment-funded radio television station therapy treatment” to eradicate all Energy conservation and e cient use must tion, biodiversity and sustainability start a fresh on their social media platforms with becomes a de facto voice of the oppo- remaining social cancer cells. also form a big part of the picture. Every unit of conversation in Hong Kong to give hope to all. curses like “all ‘black’ police and sition and a subversive base against energy saved is a unit of energy generation capac- their families should die and not a the state! The problem has been tol- The views do not necessarily refl ect ity that doesn’t need to be built. A viable pathway The views do not necessarily refl ect those of single one should be spared”. Even erated long enough. It is about time those of China Daily. for our energy-related companies is to craft a new China Daily.