John Lee: First dialogue and exchange with Legislative Council strengthens executive-legislative consensus

Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee said that holding the first dialogue and exchange with Legislative Council members can enhance understanding between the executive and legislative branches and strengthen consensus.

In a Facebook post on Tuesday (July 28), John Lee said that on that morning he held the first dialogue and exchange session with 67 members of the Hong Kong Legislative Council in the Legislative Council banquet hall.

He said the dialogue and exchange session had three purposes: first, to strengthen mutual understanding and build consensus between the executive and legislative branches; second, to pioneer new value for "patriots administering Hong Kong" through new initiatives; third, to share practical experience of "patriots administering Hong Kong" to help promote reform.

John Lee said he has always valued executive-legislative relations.

Since taking office, he has continuously strengthened communication and interaction between the executive and legislative branches through various means, including holding pre-Legislative Council exchange sessions for regular exchanges between directors of bureaux and Legislative Council members; and upgrading the Chief Executive's Question and Answer Session from one-way questions and answers to a two-way interactive "Chief Executive's Interactive Exchange Question and Answer Session." He said that on the day members of the current Legislative Council were sworn in, he went to the Legislative Council to address all members to congratulate them and offer encouragement and expectations; and he spoke at the first meeting of the current Legislative Council to actively promote the executive and legislative branches jointly giving play to the value of "patriots administering Hong Kong" and building Hong Kong together.

John Lee stressed that the dialogue and exchange session is an innovative measure and will not replace the existing various practices of executive-legislative exchange.

John Lee said he has always regarded the Legislative Council as the government's reform partner.

The government and the Legislative Council are both part of "Team Hong Kong," with the same goal of solving problems for residents.

He continued that this dialogue and exchange session allowed both sides, in a relaxed environment and free from other restrictions such as the Rules of Procedure, to conduct warm and in-depth dialogue and exchange like teammates.

Legislative Council members actively participated and spoke freely on issues including the economy, livelihood, and social development, and also shared the results and insights from attending a national affairs study and inspection visit in Beijing last week.

Separately, according to Radio Television Hong Kong, Hong Kong Legislative Council convenor and Federation of Trade Unions president Ng Chau-pei said the exchange session was very successful, with very good results, and could promote positive interaction in executive-legislative relations.