Illustration: Liu Rui/GT

Sunday saw the conclusion of an unprecedented visit by Hong Kong legislative councilors to Shanghai, in which they discussed political reforms of Hong Kong with central government officials.

The main purpose of the legislators' visit was to try to seek a consensus with the central authorities on how Hong Kong's chief executive can be elected by universal suffrage in 2017. Any election plans have to be passed by a two-thirds majority in the Hong Kong Legislative Council.

Under the Basic Law, the law practiced in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, chief executive candidates have to be selected by a nomination committee. The major contention lies in whether the chief executive can be selected by civil nomination as well.

It seems the meeting between the lawmakers and central government officials did not achieve clear results. State Council's Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office Director Wang Guangya told media after the meeting that the nomination of the chief executive has to be in accordance with the Basic Law, thereby implying that a civil nomination process is not likely.

Also, the central government officials did not respond to specific reform plans put forward by the legislators, said the legislators. Lawmakers from the pan-democracy camp noted after the meeting that while the atmosphere of the meeting was good, there were still differences between the legislators and the central government over how the chief executive can be nominated.

Despite all this, I argue that the meeting may still have some positive outcomes. Political reforms are a difficult issue and it would be naïve to believe that one meeting could solve all differences.

Wang said Sunday that the differences are understandable because Hong Kong is a diversified society. He said it is still better to hear the legislators' views face to face than from media reports.

Pan-democracy legislators who took part in the visit to Shanghai agreed that the meeting provided a good opportunity to talk to central government officials and they would like to continue the dialogue in future.

The meeting in Shanghai has opened a door of communication between the legislators and the central government. As long as it is the common goal for both sides to have universal suffrage of the chief executive in 2017, more meetings are expected to follow in future.

Hong Kong legislative councilors are keen on the development of the country. During the two-day trip, they visited some facilities in Shanghai, like the Shanghai Hongqiao Central Business District (CBD), and attended several seminars held by mainland officials and scholars, such as seminars on China's foreign policy and the deepening of reforms.

Jasper Tsang Yok-sing, president of the Hong Kong Legislative Council, said the legislators asked many questions during the seminars and engaged in active discussions with Hong Kong businesspeople at a luncheon.

This shows although the legislators handle affairs in Hong Kong, their work and knowledge should not be confined to Hong Kong. It has become a necessity for them to know more about the most up-to-date economic, political and social development programs of the country.

The development of Shanghai, for example, offers lots of insight for Hong Kong. Shanghai and Hong Kong are both major financial centers of China and share similar problems. The two cities can increase cooperation on how to handle issues like the wealth gap and reconstruction of old areas, said legislator Tony Tse Wai-chuen.

Another legislator, Ma Fung-kwok, told the Global Times that Hong Kong lacks the vision in urban planning that Shanghai has shown in the planning of the Hongqiao CBD and transportation hub.

Ronny Tong Ka-wah said Shanghai has been working hard in building transportation and convention facilities and Hong Kong should learn from Shanghai on how to increase its competitiveness in these areas.

The visit of the Hong Kong lawmakers to Shanghai was a short but generally a constructive one. More similar visits should be arranged by focusing on some areas or by extending the trips to other major mainland cities.

The author is an editor with Global Times Metro Shanghai. heluyi@globaltimes.com.cn
Newspaper headline: HK lawmakers' visit opens positive channel