Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee will meet lawmakers next Thursday for what he called an “interactive, consultative Q&A session.”

Announcing the meeting during a weekly press conference on Tuesday, Lee said that the meeting would be different from the usual chief executive Legislative Council (LegCo) question and answer sessions. Lee, who last attended a Q&A with lawmakers in January, did not elaborate how they would be different.

Chief Executive John Lee meets the press on May 9, 2023.
Chief Executive John Lee meets the press on May 9, 2023. Photo: Lea Mok/HKFP.

The chief executive said he came up with the idea after summarising the experience of the administration and LegCo’s visit to the Greater Bay Area last month, adding that he felt “patriots governing Hong Kong” could exert greater power and value.

“The GBA visit indicates that patriots can unite together to do things with a common purpose,” said the chief executive.

“Important, holistic, and strategic topics” will be set for the Q&A sessions, Lee said.

“The interactive Q&A exchange will have the benefits of usual Q&A sessions, motion debates, and Policy Address consultations,” said Lee.

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Lee’s proposal for the Q&A session came after the chief executive launched an “antechamber exchange session” mechanism last year.

Since July last year, government officials have met lawmakers in closed-door meetings in the ante-chamber once per month.

Unlike the closed-door ante-chamber discussions, the chief executive said that the Q&A sessions would be open and broadcasted.

The chief executive did not say whether the existing Q&A sessions would be replaced. He has attended three sessions since being sworn in as chief executive last July.

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Candice is a reporter at Hong Kong Free Press. She previously worked as a researcher at a local think tank. She has a BSocSc in Politics and International Relations from the University of Manchester and a MSc in International Political Economy from London School of Economics.