Lau Siu-kai, a consultant to the Chinese Association of Hong Kong and Macao Studies, said the newly-elected lawmakers must identify dealing with the aftermath of the Tai Po fire as their immediate task and, in the longer term, actively promote Hong Kong’s integration into the national development strategy.

The eighth-term Legislative Council of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region has been successfully formed, with all 90 seats filled after vote counting concluded on Monday morning. Over 1.3 million voters cast their ballots, selecting representatives from a total of 161 candidates for the 20 directly elected geographical seats, 30 functional constituency seats, and 40 Election Committee seats.

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Speaking to China Daily after the results were announced, Lau said the new lawmakers must quickly familiarize themselves with the council's rules of procedure and operational protocols to assume their roles effectively. He stressed that the new LegCo must immediately work with the SAR government to address the extensive follow-up work from the Tai Po fire, which will be a demanding task. But their performance in this task and public recognition, he noted, are crucial for establishing the council's authority.

The fire, which broke out at Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po on Nov 26, claimed at least 159 lives and also left 79 people injured.

Looking ahead, Lau pointed out that LegCo’s workload will be heavy. Key long-term tasks include further integrating Hong Kong into the country’s overall development framework, particularly through active participation in the nation’s 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-2030) and accelerating the development of the Northern Metropolis.