The Zhitong Finance App learned that members of the Hong Kong Legislative Council, Chief Executive Li Jiachao, members of the Executive Council and government officials had a luncheon in the ballroom of the Legislative Council Complex. Chairman of the Hong Kong Legislative Council, Lee Wai-king, predicted that starting next year, when debating a bill with no legislative effect, members will attach research findings and initiatives so that the government and the public can grasp the original intention and rationale of the proposal and help the public understand. She also hopes that the HKSAR Government, Chief Executive and officials will absorb more opinions from members of parliament.
Lee Wai-king said that one of the constitutional functions of the Legislative Council is to debate public policies, and another main job is to allocate funds. More than HK$130 billion has been allocated so far this year, and nearly 30% has been used for projects related to the northern metropolitan area. She described Beidu as having changed from a blueprint to an implemented plan. The second reading debate on the “Northern Metropolitan Area Development Bill” will resume on Wednesday. She believes that after the law is passed, Beidu's development will be further dismantled and untied. This is an important and pioneering step in Hong Kong's implementation of the first five-year plan and connecting with the country's “15th Five-Year Plan”.
Lee Wai-king added that the Legislative Council continues to support the active use of technology and big data by the Secretariat. As an example, she said that the Legislative Council earlier debated the Policy Address and Hong Kong's Five-Year Plan, used AI to analyze the content of a total of 27 hours of debate among 90 members of parliament, sort out a 450,000 word summary and produce a simplified version, which was handed over to government departments and released to the public. She revealed that in the future, they will produce more “see clearly in one map” and “see clearly” information packages on the contents of Legislative Council debates, lawmakers' initiatives, etc., to help the public better understand the opinions put forward by members of parliament and the laws or funding passed by the Legislative Council.
She also mentioned that under the improved electoral system, the Legislative Council has changed from being confrontational and inefficient in the past to a parliament that emphasizes coordination and efficiency, encourages teamwork, and is based on results. Next year marks the 30th anniversary of Hong Kong's return to the motherland. The Legislative Council will respond to the government's appeal and work hard to push affiliated groups, including the Legislative Council, to hold celebrations, tell the story of the country and Hong Kong well, and tell the story of “one country, two systems.”