The ninth edition of the Hong Kong regional final of the “21st Century Cup” National English Speaking Competition successfully concluded on May 9, with 32 award winners selected from about 1,300 young orators across the city.
Government officials and guests at the awards ceremony praised the event for helping nurture a new generation of confident communicators. They encouraged participants to hone their language and communication skills, and to become ambassadors sharing the good stories of the nation and Hong Kong with the world.
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Organized by China Daily and co-organized by VDO English, China Daily Hong Kong’s education arm, this year’s regional contest drew 1,300 students from about 300 schools across the city’s 18 districts. The final featured 72 contestants competing in six categories — kindergarten, junior and senior primary, junior and senior secondary, and university.
Yip Ying-yin from the Chinese University of Hong Kong won the championship in the university category, while Liu Ching-ho of SKH Tsang Shiu Tim Secondary School, and Katie Leung Sen-fung of St Stephen’s College took top honors in the senior secondary and junior secondary categories respectively.
Baker Tyler Jordan, Nathaniel Eli Cheng, and Ho Hoi-kit emerged as champions in the senior primary, junior primary, and kindergarten divisions respectively.
Following tradition, Yip will represent Hong Kong at the National Grand Final on the Chinese mainland in October. Other winners also earned opportunities to join a range of high-profile educational and exchange programs.
After the grand finale, about 400 guests, participating students and their family members attended the awards ceremony at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre.
During the ceremony, Sun Shangwu, deputy director of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the Hong Kong SAR, presented trophies to the winners.
In her keynote speech, Christine Choi Yuk-lin, secretary for education of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, commended the competition for its role in fostering students’ abilities and supporting the SAR government’s efforts to raise the overall standard of education.
“I urge all our young talent here today to continue strengthening your language skills and equipping yourselves with intercultural communication skills, as you all will be ambassadors to tell the world the good stories of our country and Hong Kong,” Choi said.
She also praised the event for helping improve students’ English-language speaking skills and for deepening their connections with peers across the country.
Zhou Li, deputy editor-in-chief of China Daily Group and editor-in-chief of China Daily Hong Kong, said that through these contests, the media group was proud of contributing to the process of letting students from around the world see the true value of Hong Kong education.
“We’re not only naming champions — we’re nurturing a generation of confident communicators from every corner of Hong Kong,” Zhou said.
He added that the nation’s 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-30) has placed youth development at the core of its goals. Within this framework, young people from the HKSAR — rooted in Chinese culture and fluent in global languages — are key drivers of innovation and integration. “Being biliterate and trilingual isn’t just a skill; it’s a responsibility,” Zhou said.
The competition also presented Special Awards in the Kindergarten Category, as well as Best Impromptu Speaker Awards. Schools with active participation received Most Active Participation School Awards.
Rizwan Ullah, vice principal (student development) of Hong Kong Baptist University Affiliated School Wong Kam Fai Secondary and Primary School, said the competition helps students develop confidence in cross-cultural communication.
Even in the era of artificial intelligence, confidence still originates from within the students — it cannot be replaced by technology, he said.
Mervyn Cheung Man-ping, chairman of the Hong Kong Education Policy Concern Organisation and a three-time adjudicator, said he has observed a rising enthusiasm among students, parents, and schools for joining such high-level contests.
The primary objective is not just to win titles but to develop thinking skills, responsiveness, international and national perspectives, analytical power, and the ability to express ideas convincingly and clearly, he said.
“I really appreciate China Daily's efforts in creating such opportunities for students,” said Athena Wan Wing-sze, vice-chairwoman of the Hong Kong Federation of Education Workers, stressing the competition’s key role in boosting participants’ confidence.
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Margaret Leung, chairwoman of the English-Speaking Union (Hong Kong), a local NGO promoting friendship through language education, said the competition’s standards have risen significantly. She added that the participants, even kindergarten contestants, have shown strong logic, composure and speaking skills during their impromptu speeches on challenging topics.
Initiated by the China Daily Group in 1996, the “21st Century Cup” contest aims to cultivate English-speaking skills, innovative spirit, and a broader global perspective among young people. Over the years, the contest has grown into a premier platform that attracts over 1 million participants nationwide annually.
Since its Hong Kong debut in 2017, the regional competition has drawn nearly 30,000 students from more than 600 schools.
Contact the writers at atlasshao@chinadailyhk.com
