On January 9, 2026, former CPPCC member Liu Mengxiong published a commentary in the “China Times,” pointing out the “institutional defects, regulatory failures, and execution vacancies” of the Hong Kong government in safeguarding the safety of its citizens. He criticized the Hong Kong government for its tendency in recent years to “generalize national security and neglect people’s safety.”
Liu raised several doubts in his article, questioning the rationale behind the external wall maintenance project at Hang Fat Court. He pointed out that the winning contractor had a questionable reputation and had been disciplined before, yet was able to win the bid at a staggering price of 330 million yuan, inevitably raising suspicions of “bid-rigging,” “benefit delivery,” or “collusion between officials and businessmen.”
Liu’s analysis indicated that the uncontrollable spread of the fire was mainly due to the contractor’s “cutting corners,” replacing fire-resistant materials with flammable nylon mesh and illegally using foam to seal windows.
He mentioned the whistleblower, architect Pan Chao-hung, who had complained through the 1823 hotline and email over a year ago, even conducting experiments to prove the flammability of materials. However, after repeated back and forth communication with government departments, the Director of Labour replied that the fire risk was low and that fire-resistant materials were not necessary. Liu criticized the Fire Services Department, Buildings Department, and Housing Department for their negligence and the complete failure of the fire alarm system.
In addition to addressing the dereliction of duty regarding the fire itself, Liu also elevated the issue to the level of the governance of Hong Kong. He believed that the top levels of the Hong Kong government displayed a lack of understanding, seriousness, and effectiveness in following the instructions of “people first, life first.” The article cited multiple examples of the government showing a “leftist” tendency when safeguarding national security.
For instance, during the visit of the then US Speaker of the House Pelosi in 2022, officials eagerly turned into “anti-American fighters” making statements that turned Hong Kong into a “forward base against the US,” impacting its international financial center status. The pro-democracy camp faced “zero seats” in the parliament, and judicial procedures undermined the principle of “innocent until proven guilty,” leading to some defendants being detained for over a thousand days without trial, causing investors to lose their sense of security.
Moreover, in the process of “safeguarding national security,” the Hong Kong government replayed the playbook of the “Cultural Revolution,” intentionally promoting so-called “soft resistance,” such as removing books from shelves and banning films, attempting to replay the tragedy of the Cultural Revolution in Hong Kong and making the people “blamed easily, everyone in self-doubt.” Some newspapers haphazardly attacked the legal and compliant disposal of overseas assets by CK Hutchison, likening it to a “handing a knife to the enemy” style of criticism during the Cultural Revolution.
The article concluded with a quote from Mencius, “The people are most important, the state is next, the ruler is the lightest,” emphasizing “people first, country next.” It stressed that the Hang Fat Court fire was a profound lesson, proving that neglecting the safety of citizens was a “directional and systematic error.” He urged the Hong Kong government to “think deeply in sorrow,” correct the chaos, understand that the ultimate goal of “safeguarding national security” is for the happiness of the people, make determined efforts to rectify the regulatory vacuum, and truly achieve the development of Hong Kong from “governance to prosperity.”