The Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Hong Kong, Cui Jianchun, said on Saturday he believes the SAR has its own sphere of influence in its attempt to become a hub for mediation.

Speaking at the final of a contest on diplomatic knowledge at Polytechnic University, Cui expressed confidence that more states would join the International Organization for Mediation to settle disputes within the coming five years.

The Hong Kong-based intergovernmental body currently has 41 member states.

"When the United Nations was first established, there were only 51 founding member states," Cui said.

"It is a bit of an overstatement to say that all current 193 member states of the United Nations will join the International Organization for Mediation. But I believe the organisation will grow to have more than 51 member states.”

Cui also encouraged students to live up to Hong Kong's “Lion Rock spirit” by turning failure into strength, saying their talents are needed in “major-country diplomacy with Chinese characteristics in the new era”.

Speaking at the same event, Chief Executive John Lee said Hong Kong can serve the overall development of the country by nurturing the next generation.

“The hope of the country lies in the youth. The future of the nation lies in the youth," he said.

"Nurturing the younger generation to have a broad international perspective and a deep sense of belonging to the country is precisely where Hong Kong can leverage its advantages.”

Lee also expressed hope that students who participated in the contest would integrate the experiences into their daily studies and pay more attention to national development.

This year’s “Hong Kong Cup Diplomatic Knowledge Contest” saw a record number of registrations with 290 schools and nearly 90,000 students participating.



Edited by Thomas McAlinden