An innovative dialogue session held on Tuesday morning between Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu and legislators was hailed as a warmer and broader platform for the executive and legislative branches to build a deeper consensus for better governance.
Sixty-seven Legislative Council members attended the session, which lasted more than 90 minutes, to discuss topics ranging from the economy and livelihoods to social development. They shared with Lee their experiences and insights gained from a weeklong study tour of Beijing last week, during which the legislators attended seminars, and visited central government agencies, as well as enterprises and cultural districts, to learn more about the nation’s progress.
Lee said the dialogue had three objectives -- enhancing mutual understanding and building a consensus between the executive and legislature; creating new value for the “patriots administering Hong Kong” principle; and sharing experiences to foster reforms.
He said he has always placed high priority on executive‑legislative relations, and has stepped up communication through various means since taking office in 2022, including the LegCo Ante Chamber Exchange sessions.
Lee believes the latest dialogue mechanism provides a calm and cordial setting for direct communication, free from procedural constraints and allowing both sides to “engage in a warm, in-depth dialogue and hold exchanges as teammates”.
LegCo President Starry Lee Wai-king described the session as a “sincere and warm exchange in a relaxed, candid atmosphere”, saying she and other legislators felt the sustained commitment of the chief executive and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government to executive-legislative ties, as well as the ongoing interaction through innovative means.
She said the just concluded LegCo delegation’s study tour of Beijing has been highly productive for lawmakers, with many sharing their insights during the trip, especially on Hong Kong’s alignment with the nation’s 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-30), accelerating the development of the Northern Metropolis, and improving livelihoods.
The trip has brought new thoughts for legislators concerning the city’s public services, such as drawing on their visit to the Beijing 12345 Citizen Hotline Service Center, she said.
The lawmakers also discussed with the chief executive ways of refining Hong Kong’s 1823 hotline.
Contact the writer at gangwen@chinadailyhk.com
