Twelve to compete against 800 speakers from across the nation in October final

Students, guests and VDO English’s mascot Panda Chan pose for a group photo at the “21st Century Cup” National English Speaking Competition (Hong Kong region) awards ceremony on Sunday. (EDMOND TANG / CHINA DAILY)

Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu on Sunday called on Hong Kong student finalists in the upcoming national English Speaking competition to tell the world the good stories about the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and “one country, two systems” with their eloquence and passion so that the city can shine brighter as the “Pearl of the Orient”.

He made the call in a keynote speech at the awards ceremony of this year’s “21st Century Cup” National English Speaking Competition (Hong Kong Region), organized by China Daily Hong Kong.

Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu said he believes the awardees will have “good ideas on how to start a new chapter for Hong Kong together” in his keynote speech at the ceremony. (ANDY CHONG / CHINA DAILY)

The competition, which drew a record of more than 1,000 participants from Hong Kong universities, as well as primary and secondary schools, picked 12 winners, who will represent the HKSAR at the National Grand Final in October, competing with their Chinese mainland peers from over 100 divisions. In 2019 and 2020, two Hong Kong contestants were crowned national champions in their respective categories.

Lee said the contest encourages young Hong Kong students to hone their skills in English proficiency and public speaking, and promotes youth exchanges between the SAR and the mainland. This will deepen their understanding of the country, its culture and remarkable progress.

Champions in each of the five categories receive gold trophies and certificates from Secretary for Education Choi Yuk-lin (fourth from left) and Zhou Li (second from left), deputy editor-in-chief of China Daily Group and publisher and editor-in-chief of China Daily Hong Kong Edition. (ANDY CHONG / CHINA DAILY)

The first runners-up pose for a photo with their silver and bronze trophies respectively alongside the presenters of their awards. (ANDY CHONG / CHINA DAILY)

Second runners-up pose for a photo with their silver and bronze trophies respectively alongside the presenters of their awards. (ANDY CHONG / CHINA DAILY)

He said he believes the successful contestants know fully well how to start a new chapter for Hong Kong, and hopes they will represent the city at the national grand final and spread the good stories about Hong Kong’s unique advantages and achievements in the past 25 years. This will let the world learn more about Hong Kong, as well as the vigor and spirit of its young people.

Citing President Xi Jinping’s deep care for Hong Kong youth in the president’s speech in the SAR on July 1, Lee said his administration has been working hard to formulate a policy and development blueprint for young people in order to broaden their scope and upward mobility. The chief executive encouraged them to share their views on how to build a better future for Hong Kong through public consultations for his first Policy Address to be delivered in October.

Members of the panel of judges are presented with certificates and souvenirs in recognition of their support for and dedication to the competition. (ANDY CHONG / CHINA DAILY)

Students from the Art Mentor Show Choir present the Miracle of Music & Dawn of Hope. (ANDY CHONG / CHINA DAILY)

In his welcome speech, Zhou Li, deputy editor-in-chief of China Daily Group and editor-in-chief of China Daily Hong Kong Edition, said that through in-depth thinking and rational expression, the contestants have demonstrated the sense of responsibility of young people in the new era in building a better home and striving for Hong Kong’s brighter future.

“As the organizer of the competition, we look forward to seeing the competition play a positive role in promoting English education, especially in helping Hong Kong students improve their communication, expression and speech skills,” he said.

Junior Primary category champion Li Lin-mo, from Fukien Secondary School Affiliated School, shows her trophy to the camera. (EDMOND TANG / CHINA DAILY)

Founded in 1996, the national competition aims to promote students’ English-speaking skills and instill the spirit of innovation. The regional contest, organized by China Daily Hong Kong and VDO English — an online English learning platform established by China Daily Hong Kong — is now in its fifth year. So far, more than 260 schools and 2,000 students have participated in the regional contest.

Among the guests at the awards ceremony were Secretary for Education Choi Yuk-lin, Cui Feng from the Department of Youth Affairs of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the HKSAR, business leaders and heads of local youth organizations.

The panel of judges comprised professionals from various institutions, including the Education Bureau, the English Speaking Union Hong Kong, the Hong Kong United Youth Association, the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts and the Hong Kong Toastmasters Club.

bingcun@chinadailyhk.com