Editor's note: Xu Ying is a Beijing-based international affairs commentator for CGTN. The article reflects the author's opinions and not necessarily the views of CGTN.

As Hong Kong reels from the devastating fire at Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po suburban district – an incident that has claimed more than 100 lives and taken the life of firefighter Ho Wai-hao – the city finds itself navigating one of the most difficult moments since its return to the motherland. Rescue workers continue their grim search, investigators work through the night, and families wait anxiously for clarity and closure.

Yet on December 7, Hong Kong will proceed with its eighth-term Legislative Council (LegCo) election, as scheduled. This is not indifference. It is resolve.

Hong Kong today is being tested on two fronts: its capacity for governance in the wake of a major disaster, and its institutional resilience as it implements the improved electoral system under the principle of "patriots administering Hong Kong." How the city faces these parallel challenges will shape not only local confidence but also the expectations of 1.4 billion Chinese people who hope to see Hong Kong advance from order to prosperity.

A tragedy that exposed deep fault lines

The facts emerging from the fire are troubling. Among the 20 protective-net samples collected across the site, seven failed basic flame-retardant standards. Investigators uncovered a chain of negligence: scaffolding damaged during a typhoon in July, mass purchases of substandard nets for replacement, and even efforts to disguise non-compliant materials with a small number of "clean" samples to evade inspection.

These findings have raised legitimate and profound questions about regulatory loopholes, corporate responsibility, and professional ethics. The government's rapid response – establishing an interdepartmental task-force and comprehensive material testing – shows a system reacting decisively under immense pressure. But the tragedy also underscores the need for deeper structural reform.

An election proceeding amid loss

Against this somber backdrop, the LegCo election will move forward.

Some have asked whether postponement might have been more fitting. But proceeding – as many voices across society have noted – demonstrates that Hong Kong can manage crisis and governance simultaneously.

The eighth-term LegCo, with 90 seats drawn from the Election Committee, Functional Constituencies, and Geographical Constituencies, reflects the design of the improved electoral system: wide representation, balanced participation, and effective governance. The candidate field – 161 in total – is diverse, professional, and substantially contested.

For many voters, however, the fire has shifted the center of gravity. Campaign promises are being scrutinized not by slogans but by track record: Who has demonstrated competence on livelihood issues? Who understands the vulnerabilities in housing, infrastructure, and community safety that this tragedy has laid bare?

Safeguarding the systemic foundations

The improved electoral system is not just a technical arrangement – it is a cornerstone of stability.

An election that aspires to fairness, order, and high quality must be protected by law. Chief Executive John Lee has reiterated that the government will ensure a level playing field free from intimidation, interference, or manipulation. The legal framework – including the National Security Law and the Safeguarding National Security Ordinance – forms the institutional ballast that the city relies on in moments of stress.

A legislature defined by delivery

Hong Kong's current LegCo completed close to 130 bills during its term – over 60 percent more than the one before it. It also passed the Safeguarding National Security Ordinance unanimously, fulfilling a long-delayed constitutional duty under Article 23.

This record matters. It demonstrates that a legislature aligned with the fundamental interests of Hong Kong and the country can operate efficiently and responsibly.

The next LegCo will inherit a dual mission: to drive reform in the wake of the Tai Po fire, and to steer long-term development as Hong Kong deepens integration into national strategies such as 15th Five-Year Plan and the Greater Bay Area initiative.

That will require not only policy vision but political maturity – qualities for which voters will be watching closely.

Hong Kong is not defined by a single tragedy, but by how it responds to it. By choosing to proceed with the election while mobilizing an unprecedented accountability effort, the city shows that sorrow and determination can coexist – that governance need not pause even as healing begins.

The path ahead will be demanding. But with the Central Government's steadfast support, the people's expectations, and a renewed commitment from incoming lawmakers, Hong Kong can turn this moment of grief into a turning point.

A city tested is a city tempered. And a city tempered is one ready to move, firmly, from stability toward revitalization.

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