BEIJING: All undersecretaries and political assistants of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government took the oath of allegiance to the HKSAR Basic Law and the HKSAR on Wednesday morning, a move that will be completed by all Hong Kong civil servants by the end of next month, Global Times reported on Wednesday.
The oath-taking ceremony was held at government headquarters, and it was administered by Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam.
In a three-minute video clip released by Hong Kong’s information service department, 12 undersecretaries and 14 political assistants were seen singing the Chinese national anthem at the oath-taking ceremony.
“I will serve the HKSAR by upholding the Basic Law, carrying out loyal service to the HKSAR, performing my duties faithfully, abiding by the law, performing my duties honestly, and serving the HKSAR,” said the Hong Kong civil servants in the video.
“They made a solemn promise on their responsibilities, genuinely showing the community their loyalty and commitment to the Basic Law and the HKSAR, and thereby boosting the confidence of the public in politically appointed officials,” a spokesman for the HKSAR said.
Hong Kong Secretary for the Civil Service Patrick Nip Tak-kuen on Sunday said that civil servants should understand their responsibilities before joining the government. If a civil servant refuses to sign the oath, it raises questions about whether the responsibility of being a civil servant is accepted.
– The Daily Mail-Global Times News exchange item
