Leung Chun-ying, one of the conveners of the Hong Kong Coalition, said that the future belongs to young people and called for the youth to join hands with others to help Hong Kong overcome difficulties and get "started again."
Leung, who is also vice chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference and former chief executive of China's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), made the remarks in a CMG interview on Monday.
On May 5, Leung and Tung Chee-hwa, also a former chief executive of HKSAR, launched a coalition aimed at helping Hong Kong overcome difficulties and "set sail again."
The coalition, co-sponsored by over 1,500 representatives from all walks of life, was established in a bid to assist the HKSAR government to revive the city's coronavirus-battered economy and help young people build a better future.
About 10 percent of its members are young people.
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Ex Hong Kong chiefs launch coalition, aim to get city started again
In the interview, Leung highlighted the role of the younger generation in Hong Kong's development, saying they represent the future.
He was delighted to see many young people from the Chinese mainland find opportunities in Hong Kong and expected more exchanges between the younger generation in Hong Kong and the mainland so that they can work jointly for national development.
Meanwhile, Leung also noted that many young people participated in the violent activities in Hong Kong, saying he felt pity for them and that they were brainwashed and instigated by the organizers.
Hong Kong is built based on law, Leung stressed, urging all the young people to respect the law and do not breach the law in the name of justice.
"It was wrong to believe that vandalism and breaking laws can be justified in certain circumstances," said the former chief executive of HKSAR.
When asked about the current situation in Hong Kong, Leung believed that the key task is to unite people and break the deadlock amid the novel coronavirus pandemic outbreak.
He called for more discussions with people of different sectors and rational expressions of opinions.