Former chief executive CY Leung said on Sunday he hopes more young people can join the country's global charitable drive, saying Hongkongers have an advantage in such work. He said the GX Foundation, which he set up six years ago, has been helping seven countries in three different continents. This includes performing surgery for some 15,000 cataract patients. Leung, who's now a vice chairman of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, said when he visited those places, the conditions reminded him of China's past. "When I go around these places, I see situations worse than how our country was some 40-plus years ago. The medical and public health conditions were rather bad," Leung spoke on a Commercial Radio programme. "So we utilise the strength of our Chinese community and provide help, do something. And we've got some good results. Such initiatives also help to connect Chinese and overseas peoples." The charity now plans to provide water filtering services to needy countries, on top of educating young people about the Belt and Road Initiative and public health. He said Hongkongers have unique advantages in joining these charitable drives for China, such as the convenience of visa-free travel with an SAR passport, and the city's role as a global aviation and logistics hub.
