HONG KONG — The Legislative Council election forum, themed “Patriots Governing Hong Kong,” saw sharp exchanges today during the functional constituency segment, with candidates vying for the crucial accountancy seat addressing key industry challenges while trading jabs over personal background and foreign nationality. Incumbent Jeffrey Wong Chun-sok, backed by the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong (DAB), faced off against challenger Francis Ng Kam-wah, former president of the Taxation Institute of Hong Kong, in the first such event for the sector, highlighting both professional policy differences and underlying political tensions in the new electoral landscape.
The forum, initiated by the government to showcase candidates under the modified electoral system emphasizing allegiance to the central government, utilized a newly implemented rapid-fire question format. Both candidates fielded inquiries on vital topics, including strategies to bolster small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), steering the accountancy profession through the transformation driven by Artificial Intelligence (AI), and tackling the persistent issue of attracting young talent to the field.
However, the most notable friction arose from Ng’s pointed attacks on Wong’s international connections. Ng repeatedly positioned himself as the better choice by emphasizing he was a “three-no” candidate: no political party affiliation, no factional allegiance, and crucially, no foreign passport. Ng used his opening and closing statements to urge the industry to support a candidate untainted by overseas ties, a clear reference to Wong, who holds both Canadian and British citizenship lineage through birth and his parents’ background.
Wong, who was born in Canada and whose family holds British citizenship, had previously stated he would not renounce his foreign residency rights. He countered the implied criticism, stating that his commitment to Hong Kong and “patriotic” sentiment were not determined by his nationality. Wong, the son of a prominent senior accountant, defended his record, thanking the industry for electing him four years ago and pledging to use his experience to vigorously advocate for the sector, promising his commitment was concrete, not merely rhetoric.
Ng, a veteran accountant with two decades of experience, stressed that his independent stance—unbound by political parties—allowed for more objective judgment, a significant advantage in representing the industry’s diverse interests.
Beyond the personal rivalry, both candidates recognized the seismic shifts facing the profession. The integration of technology like AI is rapidly reshaping traditional accounting roles, requiring a proactive government and legislative push to adapt the workforce. Similarly, both acknowledged the urgency in developing pathways and incentives to draw younger professionals into a demanding field, countering the aging demographic of current practitioners.
The structured nature of the forum, which deliberately omitted open debate or follow-up questions, prevented a sustained clash, yet the heated exchanges over international residency underline the complex political calculations candidates must navigate under Beijing’s revised “Patriots Governing Hong Kong” framework. While the system aims to restrict participation to loyalists, the issue of foreign nationality—common among Hong Kong’s elite—remains a sensitive dividing line, even within functional constituencies focused on professional expertise.
The outcome of the election will determine who guides Hong Kong’s accountants through an era of profound technological and political change. Industry watchers will be looking closely at whether voters prioritize professional independence, as championed by Ng, or established legislative experience and political support, represented by Wong. The issue of foreign passports, although arguably separate from a candidate’s policy expertise, continues to fuel political debate and remains a potent symbol in the contest for legislative authority.
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