Residents pose for a photo after casting their votes for the 2023 District Council Ordinary Election at a near boundary polling station in Sheung Shui, Hong Kong, on Dec 10, 2023. (EDMOND TANG / CHINA DAILY)

The Hong Kong government announced the list of appointed members and ex officio members of District Councils on Tuesday, which is broadly representative to achieve balanced and diverse composition in the councils.

Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu appointed 179 persons as members of the seventh-term District Councils. The registration of 27 incumbent Chairmen of Rural Committees as ex officio members has also been confirmed as valid.

During Sunday’s District Council Ordinary Election, voters elected 176 members for District Committees constituency, and 88 members for geographical constituency. So far all of the 470 members of the new-term District Council were unveiled.

The majority of the newly appointed members are young to middle-aged, representing different social strata, sectors and professions.

In districts where there are bigger ethnic-minority communities, representatives of ethnic minorities are appointed to assist the government in liaising with ethnic minorities and delivering services to them

The median age of the members is 47, with about 81 percent aged between 40 and 64, and about 15 percent are young people aged below 40. The youngest is 23 years old.

They covered sectors such as industrial and commercial, professional, grassroots and labor sectors, district organizations; and professions ranging from school principals, teachers, lawyers, healthcare practitioners, social workers, engineering surveyors, accountants, to practitioners in insurance and financial services.

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In districts where there are bigger ethnic-minority communities, representatives of ethnic minorities are appointed to assist the government in liaising with ethnic minorities and delivering services to them.

In a meeting with the press on Tuesday morning, the chief executive said that in the next three weeks before the newly appointed councilors take up office on Jan 1, 2024, officers from the 18 districts will familiarize them with district affairs. Lee said that he believes the new councilors will bring a breath of fresh air to Hong Kong and its residents.

Lee said that the prospective councilors are outstanding individuals, with ambitions to serve the community, as well as possessing a level of professionalism and experience to create an effect which is greater than the sum of its parts.

With the people as their focus to fulfill their duty, Lee said that the new councilors will serve Hong Kong’s interests, instead of becoming the agents of foreign powers. Residents can seek their assistance at any time, he said.

He added that the Hong Kong SAR government will also monitor and regulate their performances.

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Lee said that the district council elections were the final puzzle piece to realizing the principle of “patriots administering Hong Kong”. With four major elections held in the past two years, the principle has been realized at various levels of governance, ensuring that the administration power of Hong Kong remains in the hands of patriots, he said.