Episode 62 - Regina Ip

Today’s guest is one of our city’s most high-profile public figures, Regina Ip. In a wide-ranging discussion with our Senior Partner Colin Cohen, Regina reflects on her upbringing and university days, her stellar career in politics and administration, and the challenges facing modern Hong Kong. Having spent almost her entire career in public service, Regina has recently retired from the Legislative Council but, as she makes clear to Colin, she has absolutely no intention of slowing down. Stay tuned. 

00:51 Welcome to Law & More: Introducing Regina Ip
01:42 Grandparent Life & Staying Busy
02:07 Why She Stepped Down After 17 Years in LegCo
02:54 Early Life, Education & Glasgow Years
04:42 From Poetry to Public Service: Joining the Civil Service
05:34 First Posting: ICAC Era Discipline Cases & Early Challenges
06:49 Rise Through Government: Immigration, Passports & Sino-British Talks
09:44 Secretary for Security & the Article 23 Storm
10:45 A Reset at Stanford: Studying in the US (2003–2006)
12:43 Back to Hong Kong: Think Tank, Elections & Founding the NPP
14:40 Pushing Hong Kong High-Tech: Savantas’ Mission
16:34 Global Prosperity Summit: Rebuilding Hong Kong’s International Links
18:30 Inside ExCo: What the Executive Council Actually Does
23:33 Geopolitics & Hong Kong’s Role in China’s Rise
27:24 Biggest Challenge Ahead: Aging Society, Families & Fertility
29:20 From Stickers to Instagram: Becoming a Social Media Star
30:34 2026 and Beyond: Party Leadership, Elections & Mentoring New Talent
34:37 Closing Thanks & Farewell

Host: Colin Cohen
Director: Niall Donnelly
Producer and VO: Thomas Latter   

Established in 1985, Boase Cohen & Collins is an independent law firm equipped with Hong Kong knowledge and global reach. Please visit our website.

Transcript

[00:51:00] Colin: Hello everyone. I am absolutely delighted that my guest today is one of Hong Kong's most recognizable and respected citizens.

Regina ib, well known as convener, the executive Council, recently retired legislative counselor, former secretary for security, founder of The New People's Party, and the Savantas Policy Institute. Regina has dedicated her life to public service, a formidable politician, forthright, commentator, and recently a social media star.

We'll come back to that later. She continues to make headlines and attract attention. I could spend much more time listing her achievements. But it's best we hear from the lady herself. Regina, welcome to Law & More. And I always ask my guests, what's been keeping you busy recently?

[00:51:51] Regina: I have a grandson.

[00:51:52] Colin: So do I.

They keep you completely busy. I've gotta go and pick him up today at six o'clock from the tennis.

[00:51:58] Regina: He was taken to immigration department to get his passport. So I walked from convention, exhibition center to your office, which is a very pleasant walk.

[00:52:07] Colin: It's very nice.

[00:52:08] Regina: Very nice. Yeah.

[00:52:09] Colin: I'm glad you walk a lot because in Hong Kong, I walk everywhere. I don't have a car and I love walking as well. Anyway just one thing I did want to ask you before I go back in time a bit, you stood down from the legislative council having served for some 17 years.

Obviously that frees up further time for you to do other interests. What prompted that decision? Was it the right time? 

[00:52:35] Regina: I think looking back that was really the right time. I've done four terms, and Legco is becoming more and more time consuming. I really need to free up more time to do other things, yeah. So I decided to step down along with my other colleagues who've done five terms, I think that's the right time.

[00:52:53] Colin: That's good. New people coming in and that's something I always like to do new things. You do something, you're on a committee for years and years. You are always best to try to deal with matters. Okay. Before I delve into your long career in government, let's go back to your early days.

Tell us a little bit about your background, your schooling here in Hong Kong, if you can help us with that. 

[00:53:16] Regina: I'm actually half Singapore. My great-grandfather immigrated to Singapore. My father went to the famous Anglo Chinese school, in Singapore. He was born and died there actually. And he met my mother in Hong Kong during the post-war years, and I was born in 1950, so I'm one of the baby boomers, and I went to church of England School, very respectable Church of England School. St. Stephens goes college from K to 12.

Hong Kong University. And I really aspire to be an academic, that's why I went to Glasgow to do my first master degree in 16th century poetry.

[00:53:56] Colin: Why Glasgow?

[00:53:57] Regina: Because they have an advisor who was a editor, Edmund Spencer's poetry, so he was a expert on my period renaissance, 

[00:54:07] Colin: Did you enjoy Glasgow?

[00:54:09] Regina: The university campus is actually quite iconic, but it was a very tough time at that time, the coal miners strike, which drove Edward Heath out of Office. But it was good for character building.

[00:54:21] Colin: Yeah. I can tell you a story. My mother was born in Glasgow, my great-grandfather. The boat didn't turn left going into London. It went up north and went into Edinburgh, and they settled in Glasgow. 

[00:54:33] Regina: Scotland is very beautiful in the summer. The ... arts Festival?

[00:54:39] Colin: Yeah, it is a lovely place. Yeah. And I really enjoy it. Glasgow is a little bit, 

[00:54:43] Regina: rougher bit 

[00:54:44] Colin: tougher, rougher, but it became European City of the Year not too long ago as well. 

[00:54:48] Regina: And and the people were very friendly. 

[00:54:50] Colin: Yeah. So you studied literature, you went to Glasgow, you then came back and, why did you not become an academic instead, you went into the civil service?

What led to all of that?

[00:55:00] Regina: Because I hoped to return to Hong Kong U to teach, but the new positions were in language and linguistics. There was no longer position for 16th century poetry, that sort of thing, so I applied to be an administrative officer. I took the exams in London and fortunately I passed and the government gave me a one-way return ticket in 1975.

So that's how I started my career. And I must say I'm not really very accomplished person in the sense that I have no musical talent. I can't play any instrument. I don't sing. I'm not good at cooking, but I'm a good civil servant. I've done nothing but public service.

[00:55:43] Colin: Yeah. And when you started in the civil service, where were you first, your first posting?

[00:55:48] Regina: It was a civil service discipline. A lot of cases to deal with. 1975, the ICAC was established as 1974, so there were a lot of criminal cases with civil servants convicted who need to be dealt with under at that time the establishment regulations. Actually at that time, I need to write reporting telegrams to FCO. 

[00:56:12] Colin: The the foreign Commonwealth office for our listeners. Yeah. yeah. And enjoyable. Did you like it? Did you enjoy your early years there?

[00:56:20] Regina: I was so scared that I almost resigned because I was giving a lot of people the sack. I remember people calling up very rude calls in the morning. Some people even went to my open plan office in the civil service branch to look for me, the person who signed these rude letters, so it was quite scary, yeah.

[00:56:43] Colin: But career became a stellar career. You had very notable achievements. In 96, you became the first woman director of immigration and in 1998, secretary for security. Interesting times after handover as well. From working in the civil service straight into director of Immigration. How did that come about? 

[00:57:02] Regina: Actually although my first job was very stressful, but you learn quick if you are tossed in at the deep end. After civil service, I was posted to what is now home affairs department. I was Mong Kok district officer for three years. Then I was posted to the new territories and I became the subject officer responsible for organizing the first round of district council elections by Universal Suffrage.

81 to 83. Yeah. That's after Sir Murrays visit to Beijing and then the administration started to push popular elections, starting with the New Territories, and I did that from 81 to 83. After that, I was posted to then security branch, and my policy area was immigration.

Nationality, travel documents, auxiliary services. So I became an expert on British Nationality Act. Actually, I had a hand in introducing the BNO status. And designing the Hong Kong SAR passports. And I was very fortunate to be able to join the SINO-British. negotiations part of the British team as a back carrier of course, but it was still very exciting experience for a junior officer.

So that's because of my immigration experience that I was picked to be director of Immigration in 1996. And I also did the British Nationality Selection Scheme. That is the BNO passport scheme. Donald Jang was the director. I was the deputy director. So because I had lots of experience in Nationality tribal documents, immigration matters, I was posted as a director of immigration.

[00:58:49] Colin: And just for our listeners, the BNOs, British National Overseas, enable people to have some rights for a travel document, to have some connection. But interestingly, they're now extending the new scheme for people to go from Hong Kong back to the UK with taken a different shift, very recently.

[00:59:08] Regina: Strictly speaking, in 1984 when the two countries signed the joint declaration on Hong Kong, there was an exchange of memorandum on nationality, and actually the British side made it very clear.

BNO is a residual status for Hong Kong people who became British before the Hanover and only children born, up to the end of 1997, could have British National Overseas passports. But after 2019, the British government decided to extend it to a lot of people. So strictly speaking is a violation of the British Nationality Memorandum. 

[00:59:51] Colin: No, that, that is interesting. You then became secretary for security and that was interesting times. How did that come about? Did it just come outta the blue or was it something more.

[01:00:02] Regina: I think I was well positioned for that job because I already did director of immigration, two years. The secretary for security was my boss. You normally select a successor from among the department. So I was a logical choice, and those were very interesting years, 

[01:00:19] Colin: I mean it is interesting times. The article 23 issues at that time, it must have been a little bit stressful. It must have been a bit difficult at that time or... 

[01:00:27] Regina: Extremely difficult, extremely stressful. Yeah. But the version I championed actually was much simpler, and less comprehensive than the version that was eventually passed in March, 2024. Running into hundreds of pages, and very detailed. 

[01:00:45] Colin: It was indeed. After being secretary for security at that time, very political. There are lots of issues at that time, you then decided to take a break. And you went to the US to study at Stanford University. Obviously going to Stanford must have been very interesting. How did that come about?

[01:01:01] Regina: Because I already been to Stanford during 86 to 87, sponsored by the government. I went to the Sloan Management program. It's like a year MBA program, one year. Leading to a management degree and I love the campus. I always enjoy going back to school. So after seven stressful years in working with discipline services, I thought I would do something.

I always tried something new. So went back to Stanford. I was enrolled in the Department of Asian Languages and after I decided to leave when I was going to get a master degree in East Asian studies. 

[01:01:40] Colin: Your time in the US, plenty of friends, you enjoyed lifestyle? 

[01:01:44] Regina: I was very fortunate in, that was the golden age of SINO-american relations. I was there 03 to 06. China joined WTO in 01. At that time, American's perception of China is very positive.

China is a country that supplies lots of cheap and good value goods. You go to Costco, flooded with, value goods, food, everything, kitchen utensils, home depot, all full of products of China. And before Chinese New Year, the Americans would know that's the time when China's factories close and they will order their stuff well in advance, and California, have many Asians.

So that was a good time and place to be.

[01:02:31] Colin: When I was first coming out and when I was working in Hong Kong as a solicitor. Numerous American companies setting up here with their offices and then going into China, to source everything, it was an incredible amount of trade going backwards and forwards.

[01:02:45] Regina: And China wasn't seen as a competitor, only a purveyor of good value products. 

[01:02:51] Colin: Very interesting. then you returned to from the US around 2006, if I recollect. And very quickly you immersed yourself in Hong Kong public life again, you formed the Savantas Policy Institute, the think tank. You got elected to LegCo and then you founded the New People's Party.

Tell us a little bit about that. And I'm interested in the think tank. How did that all come about? What made you go down that route? I can understand the politics and all the rest.

[01:03:18] Regina: Shortly after I went to Stanford, actually, I had offers to return to the government early to take up senior positions. But, my approval ratings, just plummeted. I became the most unpopular, even hated official at the time I left, so I thought I couldn't come back.

I couldn't go back until I managed to regain my popular support, so I stayed in US three years. Of course, I enjoyed the studies and eventually when I decided to return along with other Hong Kong young people, I thought if I want to restore my popular standing, I should take part in elections.

So as the first step, I set up a think tank. Then I took part in elections in a by-election in 2007, running against Mrs. Anson Chan. I failed. But in 2008 I was elected and I served for seven years since then. And then being the solitary legislator, in a council of 70 I decided I need more, I need to build a group of my own.

So in 2011, I formed New People's Party.

[01:04:36] Colin: A think tank. That, that's interesting. I remember when it was formed and later on you were having lots of ideas, projects, looking into various matters. And it's still going at the moment as well.

[01:04:49] Regina: My key focus when I came back to Hong Kong was really technology.

Because having lived in Silicon Valley altogether four years, and I have a lot of friends who are tech entrepreneur or PE investors, we all thought Hong Kong missed the opportunity to go high tech. I was also director general industry. Very few people know about it. I work in the trade and industry area six, seven years.

And you will know Hong Kong was at one time a light manufacturing center. We did very well in textiles, footwear and electronics and all that. But we allow all that to migrate to the mainland and we lost the skills of making things and we missed the opportunity to go high tech because the entrepreneur were not prepared to invest more in technology.

So one of the key missions of my think tank was to encourage the government to go high tech. I actually use a bit of my money and raise some from other good people to ask a team of international scholars led by an MIT PhD to do a policy study on the limits on Hong Kong's laissez fair, why Hong Kong needs a technology policy.

But maybe I was ahead of the time neither the Chief executive Donald nor his financial secretary, John Zung, neither of them showed any interest. But now the government's taken over, the government making very large scale investment in technology. Technology has developed so fast that it's no longer for think tank to push forward initiatives.

The government practically taken over.

[01:06:33] Colin: Yes, we have technology parks now, and it is very exciting and basically we're all immersed as crossing the border, it's so easy now.

[01:06:40] Regina: It's now the government's foremost priority.

[01:06:42] Colin: Yeah. So your institute is still going. What's the latest?

[01:06:46] Regina: The latest project is because of COVID and our isolation after COVID, because we opened almost a year later than Singapore, and because of all the negative publicity about Hong Kong, remember our recovery was pretty sluggish.

Yeah. Very sluggish.

[01:07:04] Colin: You're being very polite. 

[01:07:06] Regina: And there were a lot of negative publicity about Hong Kong. Myself and a group of friends decided to hold a Global Prosperity Summit to bring people to Hong Kong from US, Europe, different parts of the world to have conversations about subjects like globalization and deglobalization and pen securitization of it.

Making national security the focus of every issues, these subjects, competitive, international competitiveness. So in 2024, we started organizing the first Global Prosperity Summit. It went down well, we brought to Hong Kong a Nobel Prize winner in chemistry. We reopened in early 2023, but there were travel warnings against Hong Kong.

We did not have enough international visitors, so we tried to use this sort of platform to bring in more international visitors and help them to see different sides of Hong Kong. So it is now going to the third year. 

[01:08:11] Colin: I think that's what Hong Kong needs. 

COVID was, mistakes happened, and at the time maybe decisions were made, but really I think people have learned hard lessons as what not to do with the pandemics. But it seems now that people are beginning slowly coming back to Hong Kong, bigger immigration, the French community, teachers are all coming back 'cause there's lots of jobs and openings at the moment.

As well as a great influx from people from China. Now I'm interested in the executive council. Since 2012, you've been a member. You were convener from 2022. For our listeners, tell just a sort of quick bird's eye view as to what the executive council does and its role and I think people will be very interested in just a bird's eye introduction to it.

[01:09:01] Regina: In reply to one of the questions, the executive council. Or rather the executive counselors do not actually run Hong Kong. We don't run, we are an advisory body. There is only one article. If you look at Article 56 in the basic law about the executive council. It's really a British legacy.

[01:09:22] Colin: Yeah. They were the people who the governor had 

[01:09:24] Regina: These are advisors, these are actually senior advisors. My current title is Convener of the Executive Council. Before 1997, the position was called Senior Member. You remember people like Baroness Lydia Dunn? Dr. S.Y Chung. I basically filled that shoes.

So we are advisors and the Article 50 success very well. Exco will be presided by the chief executive. Certain areas are outta bounds. Appointment discipline of officers. These are out of bounds. Emergency arrangements. The government don't need to wait for EXCO to convene to decide on emergency measures, but otherwise, all important policies, legislation and subsidiary legislation must be approved by Chief Executive in Council, and the chief executive does not necessarily have to take our advice because there is one paragraph which says, if the chief executive does not accept a majority opinion of the executive council, he or she shall put these specific reasons on record. It means the CE as chairmans is entitled not to accept our advice. Although this sort of situation, a majority opinion against the CEs ideas has never happened.

As far as I am aware, so we are really top advisors. We don't really run the government. The agenda is set by the government.

[01:10:58] Colin: You meet every Tuesday.

[01:11:00] Regina: Actually Monday also.

[01:11:01] Colin: Monday, Tuesdays, I always see if the chief executive does a press conference before or after the meeting on the Tuesday, setting out whats you have done and dealt with.

Does this take up a lot of your time being part of Exco? 

[01:11:15] Regina: We meet definitely Monday morning are the briefings because nowadays legislation very complicated. Yes. Take the digital assets Stable Coin Ordinance, that sort of thing.

We need to be briefed in advance, so Monday morning is for officials to brief members of their upcoming legislation or new policies. Tuesday is the formal meeting chaired by the chief executive. The Monday briefings are chaired by me. Tuesday, formal decision making meetings chaired by the chief executive.

We also have subcommittee meetings on subsidiary legislation. Yeah, those where the law specified must be approved by CE in council, and we also have special meetings on length and works, appeals, objections, that sort of thing.

[01:12:06] Colin: Sounds like a lot of hard work. 

[01:12:08] Regina: Well, It seems a lot of read... 

[01:12:11] Colin: Paper reading. In the executive council, you are there as advisors. It's all confidential. I know that, and what stays in there remains totally confidential as to the discussions, but I presume if there wasn't an important issue. You wanted government to embark upon or you felt things weren't going correctly, Exco will speak their mind. Or have I got it wrong? 

[01:12:31] Regina: It is our duty to give our best advice. I think we are not there to be cheerleaders, just to go along with what the chief executive wants. There was a recent question from SCMP. How come this current term our meetings seem to be 25% less than the number of meetings in previous terms.

I need to point out, don't forget. During Mrs. Lamb's tenure, there were the 2019 riots. 

[01:13:02] Colin: Yes, it was very difficult.

[01:13:04] Regina: We need to make emergency regulations. We had a lot of, emergency meetings, unknown to the public, and then COVID. We had a lot of meetings to make regulations under cap 599, that sort of thing.

A lot of social distancing measures, these new measures to deal with. So those were particularly difficult times and there were more controversies. This term is different, we are rid of all those emergencies, so we are back to a more tranquil time mainly focusing on social economic policies other than the national security law that we passed.

Yes. Which now takes me to an another very important topic during your time in public life. Has coincided with China's remarkable emergence as a global superpower. I presume that surprised you a little bit. Hong Kong has played a pivotal role in China's development.

Would you agree with that?

Absolutely.

[01:14:02] Colin: And so with all the geopolitical tensions, what are your thoughts on this? Like everything, China is incredibly powerful. Economic. We take advantage now of what goes on over the border, but moving forward into 2026 where we are now, how do you see things going just for everyone?

The place, the geopolitics, what's going on in the world? There are lots of difficult issues

[01:14:28] Regina: On geopolitics, clearly the global orders shifting, and it looks like it's fracturing into two major camps. There are three great powers, US, China, Russia, basically. And as I see it, there are two camps, one led by China, one led by us, and of course we are protected by China, for example, China, was or is the only power that managed to stand up to US on tariffs and managed to push back a lot of the tariffs. And so Hong Kong's trade benefited. We benefited from the stability and predictability of China's external policies, that's a benefit. But of course there are challenges like as you well know, our northbound fever, which look like, will be a long term thing.

It's not a flesh in the pan. It's almost look like when we woken up from our COVID related slumber of three years. The mainland, particularly Shenzhen has changed so much advanced, so much the use of technology, and so we have fallen behind in some ways. So there are a lot of benefits.

Definitely financial sector benefited a lot, from mainland liquidity from the best companies allowed to be listed in Hong Kong. I think China really help us to regain our standing as one of the top global financial centers. But there are also challenges. So Hong Kong really needs to be highly adaptive.

We need to adapt and reform and change much faster to catch up with the national and global change.

[01:16:12] Colin: Yeah, I entirely agree. And the best example of that is the greater bay area of a huge potential. It's incredible the amount of development. I went over the border and I was taken around with a government delegation with the Secretary of Justice and we went to BYD factory. Incredible. You just would not believe the technology which they are dealing with and as well. And one thing which has been very helpful for someone like me who've been here many years, this new China travel permit. It is brilliant. It'll soon be face recognition to go in, it's very easy. And a lot of my friends, people who have been here like, nearly close to 50 years have been here. Our ability just to go over the border in the past. With my daughter going over the border was a pain in the neck.

You had to line up even with your APEC card for half an hour. Now it's straight over. And you can take huge advantages of what is happening there. And I think, Hong Kong could really gain incredibly from the mutual assistance. For example, my language skills are not good enough to become a Greater Bay lawyer, but lots of other solicitors are doing that area.

So it offers huge potential possibilities. And I suspect that it's ensuring that people understand that. I think sometimes Hong Kong, one way which we don't do is really portray ourselves as the uniqueness of Hong Kong.

[01:17:28] Regina: I think we need to keep restructuring.

[01:17:30] Colin: Yes and reinventing ourselves as well now. If you could pick one major challenge for our city moving forward, what do you think that would be? 

[01:17:38] Regina: We have a rapidly aging society. I think government has already done a lot for the senior people. They have $2 transport concession, they have medical vouchers.

There are a lot of medical health, all age allowances. I think we need to do more for middle class and young couples particularly, why is our fertility rate so low? Because it's so hard. The cost of starting family is so high. So I think we need to help the middle class and young people bit more.

It's not just giving them monthly allowances for babies up to three years. I think China's doing that. China as a whole or some mainland cities are doing that, providing subsidies for babies up to three years. Not just that, but more daycare centers more support for full day kindergartens so that working couples, women can continue to work can cope with both work and babies.

I think we really need to do more for young families and help people to start the families.

[01:18:43] Colin: I entirely agree with you. I entirely agree. I think that's a very important matter.

And of course one issue which is linked to that is housing. One area where we have fallen back in all the years, someone said to me, what's the real cause of all the difficulties, the troubles we had? And I always felt it was down to, housing, bad living conditions, poverty in that, the in, at the weekend. I've just finished university 20 years after, I've come out, I've been to university. Where's my job? Can I afford a house? That is so difficult for people at the moment, for youngsters. Even with my fam, with my daughter and I, they can't buy unless I help 'em with a deposit, but mind you, in the UK and America, that always happens

That's not novel as well. And over the recent years. You've been very busy in politics, public life. You have time for hobbies and other interests. ' cause I've also noticed you've become a bit of a star on the online. Tell us about that, what you're doing 

[01:19:40] Regina: It really started with a lot of my colleagues electrical, following the mainland practice. They like to stand stickers. New Year's stickers or even red packets, on WeChat and all that.

A lot of stickers, Mid-Autumn Festival, I get stickers from my colleagues drawings. So I thought, instead of just sending stickers, maybe I should have some photos of myself, dress for the festival and send round to my friends on WeChat and WhatsApp.

That's how it started. I started doing it in 2018. Instead of just setting round a drawing of myself, or cartoon, why not just a real life photo. So I started doing that in 2018. So it is eight, nine years now, and went out very well. So I decided to keep doing it, and people like seeing it.

It's fun, it's joyful, it makes people laugh, so why not? 

[01:20:35] Colin: Yes. if you go look at the US in politics, the memes and the Instagram, you have 50,000 followers on Instagram. That's quite a lot, that is a lot. Moving forward, we are here in 2026.

You've retired from LegCo. What's your game plan? People say to me, I'm always asked me think, am I retiring? People say to me, you hit, the mid seventies, which I'm early seventies, and I was very rude to ask a lady, what's your future? 

[01:21:02] Regina: I don't see myself retiring from work.

Retiring from Legco is not the same as retiring from work, actually because of a Tai Po fire. I've been getting a lot of. Request for help with building management. A lot of buildings suddenly realize they have massive problems on the hand with renovation arguments over contracts, arguments with the property management agency.

A lot of calls for help. So I've been responding to that. But don't forget also, as a party leader, I have to deal with elections. That will be the election committee election this September. Time really flies. And then district council elections next year, next November, and then two more years, again, another round of Legco elections.

So as a political party leader, just like you as a law firm founder partner, you need to recruit talent.

You need to keep recruiting, training, grooming young people.

I guess you do the same.

[01:22:05] Colin: Mentoring is so important, so trying to find another Regina, some like you. Who's going to come out from the fire, someone who's really gonna be strong in LegCo.

[01:22:16] Regina: There'll be different versions of Regina. People strong in different ways, yeah. So I don't think I'll ever retire. The Work never stops. 

[01:22:25] Colin: But it's always good to have other interests, and like you said back to the beginning, your grandson, yes. That will give you loads of interest. I'm totally convinced that happens as well.

Your party. Do you see it growing? Do you have any aspirations? You've got new people elected, they did reasonably well in the recent election. 

[01:22:45] Regina: We lost, although we lost three seats, but in terms of the votes we got from the last elections, the same level, 11%, even though we are the smallest and the youngest party, we got 11% of the votes.

So I think I can say with hand on my heart, we are party with strong roots with the people. Clearly there are three categories of members in Legco. Election committee, 50 people competing for 46. Functional committees, functional seats. The directly elected seats are most challenging. The most challenging, and the ability to really win votes by universal suffrage is no small achievement.

[01:23:31] Colin: It's not, it's difficult.

[01:23:33] Regina: It's difficult. 

[01:23:34] Colin: But it's so important. They have quality candidates who are going to think on their own and think out the box. And people take a view that you get elected and you are just a mouthpiece that is wrong.

I don't see that happening. I think the good politicians always will look at the issues, the angles to do what they think is in the best interest of Hong Kong, as opposed to we are unique, we are different. And in a way, everyone says to us China, we are doing it for China. No. From my talking, I met some people very interested with a think tank here, and I went for a lunch and I met these diplomats who worked in Africa.

They're now working in Hong Kong and they made it very clear, they see the importance of Hong Kong is the uniqueness and the difference that we are different from the rest of China. And they think sometimes too many people are doing things thinking that's what China wants us to do. Second guessing China.

And they don't like that. The youngster are saying no. Get good young people who come up with good, strong ideas that are in the best interest of Hong Kong to ensure that Hong Kong is the economics for strength. And we grow and become more prosperous as well. So you're here forever.

You're here to continue mentoring everyone as well. That's great news.

Regina, it's been an absolute pleasure chatting with you. Thank you so much for joining us on Law & More. Thank you. 

[01:24:53] Regina: The pleasure is mine. Thank you for having me.