{{Short description|Hong Kong politician and academic}} {{family name hatnote|[[Lau (surname)|Lau]]|lang=Chinese}} {{use dmy dates|date=January 2022}} {{infobox officeholder | honorific_prefix = [[Professor (title)|Professor]] [[The Honourable#Hong Kong|the Honourable]] | honorific_suffix = {{post-nominals|country=HKG|size=100%|BBS|JP}} | native_name = {{nobold|劉智鵬}} | native_name_lang = zh | image = 劉智鵬 20230518 (cropped).jpg | caption = Lau in 2023 | office = Member of the [[Legislative Council of Hong Kong|Legislative Council]] | term_start = 1 January 2022 | term_end = | constituency = [[Election Committee (constituency)|Election Committee]] | predecessor = ''New constituency'' | successor = | birth_name = | birth_date = {{Birth year and age|1960}} | birth_place = | party = | citizenship = | alma_mater = {{ubl|[[University of Hong Kong]] ([[Bachelor of Arts|BA]], [[Master of Philosophy|MPhil]])|[[University of Washington]] ([[Doctor of Philosophy|PhD]])}} | occupation = Politician, professor }} '''Lau Chi-pang''', {{post-nominals|country=HKG|size=100%|BBS|JP|sep=y}} ({{lang-zh|c=劉智鵬}}; born 1960) is a Hong Kong politician and academic scholar serving as an Associate Vice President of the [[Lingnan University (Hong Kong)|Lingnan University]]. In 2021, [[2021 Hong Kong legislative election|he was elected]] as one of the 40 Legislative Council members for the [[Election Committee (constituency)|Election Committee constituency]] which was newly created under the [[2021 Hong Kong electoral changes|electoral overhaul]] imposed by Beijing. In December 2025, he was re-elected.
==Academic and public life== Lau earned his Bachelor of Arts in Chinese History and Japanese and Master of Philosophy in Chinese Intellectual History degrees from the [[University of Hong Kong]] in 1984 and 1987 respectively and completed his doctoral degree in History at the [[University of Washington, Seattle]] in 2000.<ref>{{cite web|title=Prof LAU, Chi-pang, JP|url=https://www.ln.edu.hk//history/staff/laucp.php|work=Lingnan University}}</ref> He joined [[Lingnan University (Hong Kong)|Lingnan University]]’s General Education Division in 1993 and became a founding member of the Department of History in 2002 and has been teaching Chinese history and Hong Kong history for the department.<ref name="lingnan">{{cite web|title=Professor LAU Chi-pang, BBS, JP|url=https://www.ln.edu.hk/po/professor-lau-chi-pang-jp|work=Lingnan University}}</ref>
He has served in many public positions. He is an ex-officio member of the [[Heung Yee Kuk]] and appointed member of the [[Tuen Mun District Council]] from 2004 to 2011 and the council's vice chairman in 2011. He was also a member of the [[Antiquities Advisory Board]], Advisory Committee on Revitalisation of Historic Buildings, [[Town Planning Board]], History Museum Advisory Panel, Lord Wilson Heritage Trust, Chairman of the Advisory Committee on Built Heritage Conservation and member of Advisory Council on the Environment.<ref name="lingnan"/>
A the advisory committee chairman, Lau in 2016 argued that [[Queen's Pier]], which was dismantled in 2007 in the [[Central and Wan Chai Reclamation|land reclamation project]], should be restored in "more spacious" locations which are "more frequented by the public", such as [[Tung Chung]] in [[Lantau Island]]. He questioned the functional purpose of reassembling the historic structure between [[Central Piers|ferry piers 9 and 10]] in [[Central, Hong Kong|Central]] suggested in the consultation document.<ref>{{cite news|title=Conservation chief's plan to move Queen's Pier to Lantau Island mocked|date=17 May 2016|work=South China Morning Post|url=https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1946626/conservation-chiefs-plan-move-queens-pier-lantau-island-mocked}}</ref>
He opposed the [[Occupy Central with Love and Peace]] campaign initiated by [[pro-democracy camp (Hong Kong)|pro-democracy]] law professor [[Benny Tai]] in 2014. In an interview with Chinese state media, he warned that the campaign would lead to regression in Hong Kong civilisation, obstruct the governance and threaten people's livelihood.<ref>{{cite news|title=專家指「佔中」將危及社會民生|date=2014-06-20|work=文匯報|url=http://news.wenweipo.com/2014/06/20/IN1406200041.htm}}</ref>
==2019 protests and Tong Ying-kit case== [[File:Prof LAU, Chi-pang, JP 20190727.png|thumb|150px|left|Lau in 2019 during [[2019 Hong Kong protests|anti-government protest]]]] On 27 July 2019, six days after the [[2019 Yuen Long attack|Yuen Long mob attack]] on protesters during the [[2019 Hong Kong protests|massive anti-government protests]], Lau showed up with Lingnan University President [[Leonard Cheng]] and Vice President Joshua Mok in the [[2019 Yuen Long attack#Reclaim Yuen Long protest|Reclaim Yuen Long protest]] in Yuen Long to "inspect the environment and protect students". They were applauded and cheered by the protesters.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.hk01.com/article/356980|title=【元朗遊行】嶺大校長鄭國漢現身遊行：我只係一個微弱的校長|work=香港01|date=2019-07-26}}</ref>
In 2021, Lau became an expert witness in [[List of Hong Kong national security cases#Tong Ying-kit|Tong Ying-kit's case]], the first defendant charged under [[2020 Hong Kong national security law|national security law]]. He said the slogan "[[Liberate Hong Kong, revolution of our times]]", on which the flag the defendant flew when he allegedly drove his motorcycle into police in [[Wan Chai]] on 1 July 2022, connotes "[[Hong Kong independence]]" or separating Hong Kong from China, altering the legal status of the Special Administrative Region (SAR) or subverting state power. He also said "Liberate Hong Kong" means snatching Hong Kong from enemies, so not accepting Hong Kong as part of China and seeing Chinese authorities as the enemy.<ref>{{cite news|title='Liberate Hong Kong' slogan explained|work=The Standard|url=https://www.thestandard.com.hk/section-news/section/4/231483/'Liberate-Hong-Kong'-slogan-explained|date=24 June 2021}}</ref>
The [[High Court of Hong Kong|High Court]] found Tong guilty on 27 July, and sentenced him to a total of 9 years in prison on 30 July, of which secession and terrorist activities carried 6.5 and 8 years of imprisonment respectively after part of them would be served concurrently.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://hongkongfp.com/2021/07/27/breaking-activist-tong-ying-kit-found-guilty-in-hong-kongs-first-national-security-trial/|title=Activist Tong Ying-kit found guilty in Hong Kong's first national security trial|first=Kelly|last=Ho|work=[[Hong Kong Free Press]]|date=2021-07-27|access-date=2022-11-14}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.smh.com.au/world/asia/hong-kong-waiter-sentenced-to-nine-years-in-jail-under-security-law-20210730-p58ef3.html|title=Hong Kong waiter sentenced to nine years in jail under security law|first1=James|last1=Pomfret|first2=Sara|last2=Cheng|work=[[The Sydney Morning Herald]]|date=2021-07-30|access-date=2022-11-14}}</ref> The court ruling stated that such display of the words was capable of inciting others to commit secession.<ref name=bloomberg_20210727_hong>{{cite news |last1=Lindberg |first1=Kari Soo |title=Hong Kong Court Convicts Man Over Slogan Chanted by Thousands |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-07-27/hong-kong-court-set-to-deliver-verdict-in-first-security-trial |access-date=27 July 2021 |work=Bloomberg |date=27 July 2021 |archive-date=27 July 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210727083651/https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-07-27/hong-kong-court-set-to-deliver-verdict-in-first-security-trial |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name=hongkongfp_20210727_breaking>{{cite news |last1=Ho |first1=Kelly |title=Activist Tong Ying-kit found guilty in Hong Kong's first national security trial |url=https://hongkongfp.com/2021/07/27/breaking-activist-tong-ying-kit-found-guilty-in-hong-kongs-first-national-security-trial/ |access-date=27 July 2021 |work=[[Hong Kong Free Press]] |date=27 July 2021 |archive-date=25 May 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220525085114/https://hongkongfp.com/2021/07/27/breaking-activist-tong-ying-kit-found-guilty-in-hong-kongs-first-national-security-trial/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
==Legislative Council== In December 2021, [[2021 Hong Kong legislative election|he was elected]] as one of the 40 Legislative Council members for the [[Election Committee (constituency)|Election Committee constituency]] which was newly created under the [[2021 Hong Kong electoral changes|electoral overhaul]] imposed by Beijing, receiving 1,214 votes.<ref>{{cite news|title=Legislative Council General Election results: Election Committee constituency|url=https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202112/20/P2021122000099.htm|work=Hong Kong Government|date=20 December 2021}}</ref> Lau also became the President of the [[Hong Kong Federation of Education Workers]] (FEW), the largest pro-Beijing teachers' union in Hong Kong earlier in the month, succeeding [[Wong Kwan-yu]].<ref name="lingnan"/><ref>{{cite news|title=劉智鵬接任教聯會長 黃錦良續任主席|date=2022-12-12|work=明報|url=https://news.mingpao.com/pns/%E6%95%99%E8%82%B2/article/20221212/s00011/1670778864060/%E5%8A%89%E6%99%BA%E9%B5%AC%E6%8E%A5%E4%BB%BB%E6%95%99%E8%81%AF%E6%9C%83%E9%95%B7-%E9%BB%83%E9%8C%A6%E8%89%AF%E7%BA%8C%E4%BB%BB%E4%B8%BB%E5%B8%AD}}</ref>
In 2023, Lau became a member of the National Committee of the 14th [[Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference]] (CPPCC), representing the Education sector.<ref>{{cite web|title=熱烈祝賀：教聯會會長劉智鵬 榮任全國政協委員|url=https://www.hkfew.org.hk/%E6%9C%80%E6%96%B0%E6%B6%88%E6%81%AF/item/9491-%E7%86%B1%E7%83%88%E7%A5%9D%E8%B3%80%EF%BC%9A%E6%95%99%E8%81%AF%E6%9C%83%E6%9C%83%E9%95%B7%E5%8A%89%E6%99%BA%E9%B5%AC-%E6%A6%AE%E4%BB%BB%E5%85%A8%E5%9C%8B%E6%94%BF%E5%8D%94%E5%A7%94%E5%93%A1|work=香港教育工作者聯會}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=中國人民政治協商會議第十四屆全國委員會委員名單|url=http://politics.people.com.cn/BIG5/n1/2023/0118/c1001-32608777.html|work=人民網|date=2023-01-18}}</ref> At the annual session of the CPPCC in March 2023, Lau vowed to cultivate patriotism of Hong Kong youth through history education innovation.<ref>{{cite news|title=全國政協委員劉智鵬：以歷史教育創新培養香港青年愛國情懷|author=Amazing Guangdong|date=2023-03-06|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YNR-TgfgXBM&ab_channel=AmazingGuangdong}}</ref>
Lau opposed the government plan to turn part of the 170-hectare member-exclusive [[Hong Kong Golf Club]] in [[Fanling]] into public housing. As a meeting of the Advisory Council on the Environment in August 2022, he questioned if the administration had exhausted all other options before pressing ahead with the plan, noting the government has floated the idea of the mega-development of the [[Northern Metropolis]] in the northern New Territories.<ref>{{cite news|title=Govt defends plan to build flats on golf course|url=https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1661478-20220808.htm|date=8 August 2022|work=Radio Television Hong Kong}}</ref> He was criticised by Chinese state media for appearing in a video where he praised the Golf Club .Lau said that "If public housing is built on the golf course, it will become a political monument," and if that were to happen, housing advocates would "then aim at other private clubs."<ref name=":0">{{Cite news |last=Dong |first=Joy |date=2023-01-30 |title=Golf Course or Housing? A Patch of Green Divides Hong Kong |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2023/01/30/world/asia/hong-kong-golf-course-housing.html |access-date=2023-01-31 |issn=0362-4331}}</ref>
In May 2023, Lau said that Hong Kong should promote [[red tourism]], referring to [[McDonald's]] on [[MacDonnell Road]] and [[Yau Ma Tei Police Station|former police station]] at [[Yau Ma Tei]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Leung |first=Hillary |date=2023-05-10 |title=Promote Hong Kong 'red tourism' to mainland Chinese visitors, lawmaker says |url=https://hongkongfp.com/2023/05/11/promote-hong-kong-red-tourism-to-mainland-chinese-visitors-lawmaker-says/ |access-date=2023-05-12 |website=Hong Kong Free Press HKFP |language=en-GB}}</ref>
In December 2025, Lau was re-elected as Legislative Councilor.
==Honours== In 2020, he was awarded [[Bronze Bauhinia Star]] (BBS) in recognition of his "dedicated contribution to built heritage conservation in Hong Kong". The government statement said that he provided "professional advice especially on the historic value and significance of the heritage buildings, and led the Advisory Committee to work tirelessly in steering the funding schemes under the Built Heritage Conservation Fund" as the chairman of the Advisory Committee on Built Heritage Conservation.<ref>{{cite web|title=Appendix|url=https://gia.info.gov.hk/general/202010/01/P2020093000315_350581_1_1601453625684.pdf|work=Hong Kong Government}}</ref>
== References == {{reflist}}
{{s-start}} {{s-par|hk}} {{s-new|constituency}} {{s-ttl| title = Member of Legislative Council| district = [[Election Committee (constituency)|Election Committee]]| years = 2022–present}} {{s-inc}} {{s-edu|hk}} {{s-bef|before=[[Wong Kwan-yu]]}} {{s-ttl|title = President of [[Hong Kong Federation of Education Workers]] |years = 2022–present}} {{s-inc}} {{s-end}}
{{Current Members of the Legislative Council of Hong Kong}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lau, Chi-pang}} [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:1960 births]] [[Category:Hong Kong pro-Beijing politicians]] [[Category:Alumni of the University of Hong Kong]] [[Category:University of Washington alumni]] [[Category:Academic staff of Lingnan University]] [[Category:20th-century Hong Kong historians]] [[Category:21st-century Hong Kong historians]] [[Category:Heung Yee Kuk]] [[Category:District councillors of Tuen Mun District]] [[Category:Members of the Election Committee of Hong Kong, 2021–2026]] [[Category:HK LegCo Members 2022–2025]] [[Category:Members of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference]] [[Category:Hong Kong justices of the peace]] [[Category:Recipients of the Bronze Bauhinia Star]]