“As members of district governance … you must unite to support the legislation of Article 23, cooperate with the government in fulfilling this constitutional responsibility and work to enhance the legal framework and enforcement mechanism to protect national security,” he said.

Article 23 requires Hong Kong to enact its own security legislation to outlaw the theft of state secrets, and to ban foreign groups from conducting political activities in the city and local political organisations or bodies from establishing ties with foreign counterparts.

Lee also asked the councillors – elected or appointed under a revamped system – to fulfil their consultative role as outlined in Basic Law Article 97, which states that community-level organisations exercise no political power.

He called on the 470 to serve as a bridge between the government and residents and carry out their duties with a people-oriented approach to improve their communities.

Talks on Hong Kong’s economy meaningless without national security: Eric Chan

“As an integral part of district governance in Hong Kong, district councillors should demonstrate the spirit of loving both the country and the city through practical actions rooted in their communities,” Lee said.

The ceremony lasted for about 1½ hours. The oaths taken by all councillors were determined to be valid.

Mak later said each council would hold its inaugural meeting this week and they were expected to form workforces, including one tasked to boost the local economy.

She also noted that the councils could apply to the government for funding to organise district events. Under the electoral reform, district councils will no longer scrutinise government funding.

Fung Pui-yin, a directly elected district councillor for the Tuen Mun East geographical constituency, said the biggest challenge would be to serve a larger community with limited resources.

“The resources granted to me allow me to hire only two full-time staff members to serve the constituency, which includes a combination of 11 small constituencies previously set for the 2019 district council election,” he said.

He said three work priorities had been decided by District Officer Michael Kwan Ke-lin, a civil servant who chairs the council, which were enhancing transport facilities, improving employment opportunities and protecting the environment.

In a social media post sharing his new year message on Monday, city leader Lee said the government aimed to improve residents’ livelihoods in 2024.

“Particularly, after improving the district governance system, the [new] district councils will start to serve from today. They will better gather community forces and improve people’s livelihoods,” Lee said.

He added that the administration would also focus on revitalising Hong Kong’s economy, such as by organising “innovative” activities.

Hong Kong’s new district councils will be more ‘constructive’: John Lee

Lo Hiu-fung, one of 22 district councillors in Tai Po, revealed his team earlier convened a preparatory meeting to discuss their plans and many said the body over the past two years had remained stagnant.

“Tai Po District Council hasn’t held meetings in the past two years,” Lo told a radio programme before the swearing-in ceremony. “Many recreational facilities, construction works and transport plans have been halted. We will set up committees to continue them.”

In 2021, about 260 councillors from the opposition camp across different districts resigned ahead of new oath-taking rules that required pledging loyalty to the government and on the heels of leaks suggesting they could be forced to return an entire year of salary and other funding.

Lo said the council chairman, a position no longer chosen by the members but taken up by the district officer under the revamped system, suggested fostering economic development in Tai Po.

He said the officer’s suggestions also included setting up night markets in Lam Tsuen and at Tai Po Arts Centre, as well as three photogenic spots to encourage local consumption and attract tourists to the area.

Lo said he also expected that other councillors, especially those who were appointed and had a business background, could share their professional knowledge to sustain economic development in the area.

Outgoing Hong Kong district councillors contemplate life outside politics

Tsuen Wan district councillor Ng Chun-yu told the same show that appointed members should make use of their expertise when reaching out to certain stakeholders, as well as locating venues for activities.

He added that the Tsuen Wan body had earlier also held a preparatory meeting.

For the district council election on December 10, dubbed the last piece of the puzzle for establishing the Beijing-ordered “patriots-only” governance structure, the proportion of directly elected seats was cut from almost 95 per cent to 19 per cent, or 88 seats in 44 enlarged geographical constituencies.

The turnout rate was 27.54 per cent, the lowest since 1997 when the city returned to Chinese rule.

Three area committees chose another 176 seats, with the city leader appointing 179 and rural leaders taking the remaining 27 seats.

A set of guidelines were announced in late December to evaluate the district councillors’ work performance, which include a requirement to attend at least 80 per cent of general meetings, submit annual work reports and give notice if they plan to leave the city for more than 48 hours.