{{Short description|Hong Kong politician}} {{Infobox officeholder |name=Choy So-yuk |honorific_suffix=[[Justice of Peace|JP]] |office=Member of [[District Councils of Hong Kong|Eastern District Council]] |term_start=1 January 2000 |term_end=31 December 2019 |constituency=[[Kam Ping (constituency)|Kam Ping]] |predecessor=Chiang Yu-tui |successor=Lee Yue-shun |office2=Member of the<br />[[Provisional Legislative Council]] |term_start2=8 July 1997 |term_end2=30 June 1998 |predecessor2 = [[Maria Tam]] |office4=Member of the [[Legislative Council of Hong Kong|Legislative Council]] |term_start3=1 July 1998 |term_end3=30 September 2000 |constituency3 = [[Election Committee (constituency)|Election Committee]] |term_start4=1 October 2000 |term_end4=30 September 2008 |predecessor4= |successor4=[[Cyd Ho]] |constituency4 = [[Hong Kong Island (constituency)|Hong Kong Island]] |birth_date={{Birth date and age|1950|10|10|df=y}} |birth_place= [[Jinjiang City|Jinjiang]], [[Fujian]], China |alma_mater=[[University of Hong Kong]] |party=[[Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong]] |other_party=[[Hong Kong Progressive Alliance]] }} {{Infobox Chinese |order= |showflag= |c=蔡素玉 |j=Coi<sup>3</sup> Sou<sup>3</sup>-juk<sup>6</sup> |y=Choi Sou-yuhk |p=Caì Sùyù |poj=Chhoà Sò͘-gio̍k }}
'''Choy So-yuk''', [[Bronze Bauhinia Star|BBS]], [[Justice of the Peace|JP]] ({{zh|c=蔡素玉}}, born 10 October 1950) is a [[Hong Kong]] politician. She was an elected member of [[Eastern District, Hong Kong|Eastern District]] Council and a Hong Kong Deputy of the [[National People’s Congress]]. From 1997 to 2008 she was a member of the [[Legislative Council of Hong Kong]] and its forerunner. Choy is a member of the [[Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong]] (DAB) and her main supporters are pro-[[People's Republic of China|Beijing]] [[politician]]s and organisations, especially the [[Speakers of Min Chinese|Fujianese]] in [[North Point]] on [[Hong Kong Island]].
==Early life and education== Choy was born in [[Jinjiang, Fujian|Jinjiang]],{{citation needed|date=February 2021}} [[Fujian]], [[China]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/200606/15/P200606150289.htm|title=SCA's speech at the lunch for speakers of CS Forum on Cross-Strait Peace and Development (With photo)}}</ref> Her family migrated to Hong Kong when she was very young. She holds a [[Bachelor of Science]] degree in [[Chemistry]] and a [[Master of Philosophy]] in Chemistry, both from the [[University of Hong Kong]] (1974 and 1980 respectively).<ref>[http://www.legco.gov.hk/general/english/members/yr04-08/csy.htm Choy's biodata] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080226014932/http://www.legco.gov.hk/general/english/members/yr04-08/csy.htm |date=February 26, 2008 }}</ref><ref name=HKExnews>[http://www.hkexnews.hk/listedco/listconews/SEHK/2003/0127/00364/F107.pdf Huafeng Environmental Protection Textile International Group - Directors' Biographies]</ref>
== Political career == Choy joined the [[Provisional Legislative Council]] in 1997, replacing [[Maria Tam]] upon the [[Transfer of sovereignty over Hong Kong|Handover]] from British to Chinese rule and went on to sit in subsequent Legislative Councils until 2008, representing the [[Hong Kong Island (constituency)|Hong Kong Island]] [[geographical constituency]]. She was a member of the (pro-business, pro-Beijing) [[Hong Kong Progressive Alliance]], but ran (and won) for the DAB for the [[2000 Hong Kong legislative election|2000 Legislative Council Election]], as part of a joint election strategy by the two parties, made possible through the agreement of the influential [[Fujian]] community leaders in the district, who are loyal to her. Her former party anyway merged into the DAB in 2005.<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=ubhzNgrO0swC&pg=PA113 Out of the Shadow of 1997?: The 2000 Legislative Council Election in the HKSAR. By Hsin-chi Kuan pp113-115]</ref>
Her Legislative Council positions included chairman of the Panel on Environmental Affairs,<ref name=HKExnews/> chairman of the Panel on Home Affairs, and member of the Panel on Development.<ref>[http://www.pland.gov.hk/pland_en/p_study/comp_s/UDS/eng_v1/images_eng/pdf_paper/s2_poce_fr_whole_e.pdf Panel on Home Affairs Minutes of meeting on Friday, 11 April 2008]</ref>
In the [[2008 Hong Kong legislative election|2008 Legco election]], Choy was placed second to [[Tsang Yok-sing|Jasper Tsang]] on the DAB list for the Hong Kong Island constituency. Choy's loss of her seat was reportedly because the party's vote was split with [[Regina Ip]], who was the candidate endorsed by the DAB in the [[2007 Hong Kong Island by-election]].<ref>Peter So, "Regina Ip deflects the blame", ''South China Morning Post'', Page A2, 9 September 2008</ref>
Since 2000, she has been a member of [[Eastern District Council|Eastern District]] [[District Councils of Hong Kong|Council]], representing [[Kam Ping (constituency)|Kam Ping constituency]]. In the [[2003 Hong Kong local elections|2003 election]], she almost lost out to [[Leung Kwok-hung]] ("Long Hair"), as part of the fallout from widespread public dissatisfaction with incumbent pro-government representatives across the board, while in the [[2007 Hong Kong local elections|2007 election]] she successfully saw off a challenge by fellow government supporter and Fujian elder Charles Chiang Yu-tui, winning 75 percent of the vote. In other elections for the seat, she has been unopposed.<ref>[https://www.scmp.com/article/612787/fujian-divisions-trump-politics Fujian divisions trump politics], SCMP, 24 October 2007</ref> She stepped down in 2019, and her successor was defeated [[2019 District Council elections in Hong Kong|in 2019]] by the candidate from the Civil Party.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.elections.gov.hk/dc2019/eng/results_sha_tin.html|title=2019 District Councils Election – Election Results (Sha Tin)|date=25 November 2019|publisher=Government of Hong Kong}}</ref>
In 2008, Choy was appointed a Hong Kong Deputy of the [[National People’s Congress]] and is therefore an ex officio member of the [[Election Committee]].<ref name=Webbsite>[https://webb-database.com/dbpub/positions.asp?p=16976 Webb-database: Choy So Yuk (Positions)]</ref>
Other public positions held by Choy, currently or previously, include: member of the Fujian Provincial Committee of the [[Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference]], member of the Appeal Panel of the [[Travel Industry Council of Hong Kong]] and director of Fujian Middle School.<ref name=HKExnews/>
==Support for environmental issues== Choy is an ardent supporter of environmental issues. She notably broke ranks with her party to vote with [[conservation ethic|conservation]]ists for the preservation of [[Queen's Pier]]. She joined democrats to oppose application for HK$50 million to fund the dismantling and relocating of the pier on 9 May 2007.<ref name="weak crab">Ambrose Leung, "Pier failure shows Tsang team 'like a weak crab'", ''[[South China Morning Post]]'', page 1, 11 May 2007</ref> Choy, however, abstained in a re-submitted request for funds to dismantle and relocate Queen's Pier two weeks later. She revealed that she had been lobbied by [[Michael Suen]] and [[Donald Tsang]]; party [[Whip (politics)|whips]] did not allow her to cast an opposing vote, and the government won by 10–7.<ref name=nod>Diana Lee, [http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=11&art_id=45173&sid=13752998&con_type=1&d_str=20070524&sear_year=2007 "Pier demolition cash bid gets nod"] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110522041329/http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=11&art_id=45173&sid=13752998&con_type=1&d_str=20070524&sear_year=2007 |date=May 22, 2011 }}, 24 May 2007</ref>
==Business interests== Choy is a [[non-executive director]] of Ping Shan Tea Group, an investment holding company listed in Hong Kong.<ref>[https://archive.today/20120715043034/http://finance.google.com/finance?q=HKG:0364 Ping Shan Tea Group Ltd]</ref> Formerly Huafeng Group, a [[textiles]] company, it was acquired in 2013 by China Natural Tea Holdings Company Limited, in a [[reverse takeover]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/research/stocks/private/snapshot.asp?privcapId=8807743 |title=Huafeng Group Holdings Limited: Private Company Information - Businessweek |website=Bloomberg Business |date=October 29, 2015 |accessdate=October 29, 2015}}</ref> The company was renamed to Ping Shan Tea Group Limited,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.pingshantea.com.hk/en/corporate-history/ |title=Corporate History |accessdate=October 29, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160301113007/http://www.pingshantea.com.hk/en/corporate-history/ |archive-date=March 1, 2016 |url-status=dead }}</ref> and Choy's position remains unchanged.
She is also an independent non-executive Director of Evershine Group Holdings Limited, and of Loudong General Nice Resources (China) Holdings Limited, as well as the founder and managing director of Oriental-Western Promotions Ltd (formerly SHK International Ltd).<ref name=Webbsite/>
==References== {{reflist}}
{{s-start}} {{s-par|hk}} {{s-bef|before=[[Maria Tam]]}} {{s-ttl|title=Member of [[Provisional Legislative Council]]|years=1997–1998}} {{s-non|reason=Replaced by [[Legislative Council of Hong Kong|Legislative Council]]}} {{s-new|parliament}} {{s-ttl|title = Member of Legislative Council |district=[[Election Committee (constituency)|Election Committee]]|years = 1998–2000}} {{s-non|reason=Seat abolished}} {{s-new|seat}} {{s-ttl|title = Member of Legislative Council |district=[[Hong Kong Island (constituency)|Hong Kong Island]] |years = 2000–2008}} {{s-aft|after=[[Jasper Tsang]]}} {{s-off|hk}} {{S-bef|before=Tsang On-kei}} {{s-ttl|title=Member of [[Eastern District Council]]|district=[[Kam Ping (constituency)|Kam Ping]]|years=2000–2019}} {{s-aft|after=[[Lee Yue-shun]]}} {{s-end}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Choy, Soyuk}} [[Category:1950 births]] [[Category:Chinese emigrants to Hong Kong]] [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:People from Jinjiang, Quanzhou]] [[Category:Hong Kong businesspeople]] [[Category:District councillors of Eastern District]] [[Category:Alumni of the University of Hong Kong]] [[Category:Delegates to the 11th National People's Congress from Hong Kong]] [[Category:Delegates to the 12th National People's Congress from Hong Kong]] [[Category:Delegates to the 13th National People's Congress from Hong Kong]] [[Category:Hong Kong Buddhists]] [[Category:Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong politicians]] [[Category:Businesspeople from Fujian]] [[Category:Hong Kong Progressive Alliance politicians]] [[Category:Members of the Provisional Legislative Council]] [[Category:HK LegCo Members 1998–2000]] [[Category:HK LegCo Members 2000–2004]] [[Category:HK LegCo Members 2004–2008]] [[Category:Members of the Selection Committee of Hong Kong]] [[Category:Recipients of the Bronze Bauhinia Star]] [[Category:Politicians from Quanzhou]]