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Matthew Cheng

Hong Kong’s legislature has not sent any delegations to Europe or North America over its current four-year term, a first since the city’s return to Chinese sovereignty, the Post has found.
Observers said such trips, which were routine in the past, were now seen as high risk and of little value amid geopolitical tensions with the West.
However, a lawmaker expressed hope that the next Legislative Council would resume such official visits, arguing that the city could learn from the West, which excels in areas such as education and environmental protection.
These visits would also help promote the city’s image internationally, he added.
A check by the Post found that the current Legco, which wraps up its four-year term on October 24, made a record 19 visits outside Hong Kong, despite the city’s Covid-19 lockdown spanning around a quarter of the term. This was more than triple the total from the previous term.


Seventeen of these visits were to mainland China, also a record number. The other two were to Japan and Southeast Asia, covering Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore, respectively, last year.
It was the first time since the city’s handover in 1997 that the legislature failed to send any delegation to Europe or North America during its term.
Legco and its committees conduct visits outside Hong Kong to strengthen ties and gather information on foreign governance as well as matters of public interest.
Visiting the West used to be common practice. Before the current term, Legco averaged four visits to Europe and North America per term, typically including a trip to Britain.
Previous trips included the education panel’s visit to Finland in 2019 to study its “happy learning” approach, as well as the parliamentary liaison subcommittee’s visit to the British and Scottish parliaments in 2018.

Lawmaker Paul Tse Wai-chun, a member of the subcommittee, attributed the drastic change to geopolitics.
He said official visits to the West were now politically sensitive and had prompted the legislature to adopt a “risk-averse” approach.
“You need to feel welcome when visiting other countries as Legco has to engage with foreign governments and parliaments. If the other side is lukewarm or indicates that we are unwelcome, there is little we can do,” Tse said.
“We can only focus on places eager for mutual exchange.”
A planned visit to Britain fell through after the UK branch of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association withdrew its invitation for two lawmakers to attend its Westminster seminar in 2023, citing a deteriorating situation in Hong Kong.
This move drew condemnation from Legco president Andrew Leung Kwan-yuen and former city leader Leung Chun-ying.
A lawmaker, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said he had received “reminders” from his mainland contact urging the legislature to avoid visits to the West.
He also said that the idea of sending a delegation to Europe or the United States was previously considered, but most lawmakers seemed disinterested.
Some lawmakers visited Europe on behalf of their political parties, including New People’s Party leader Regina Ip Lau Suk-yee, who led a delegation to the UK last year.
Lawmakers from the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong, the city’s largest political party, visited France earlier this year.
Kennedy Wong Ying-ho, who was part of that delegation, conceded that legislators would have greater flexibility and face fewer restrictions if they visited Western countries in a personal or party capacity.
“Official delegations must toe the line,” Wong said, adding they would enjoy greater freedom when commenting on policies or sharing their personal views.
Lau Siu-kai, a consultant for the Chinese Association of Hong Kong and Macau Studies think tank, warned that the West viewed Legco as responsible for the alleged curtailment of the city’s freedoms, making any official delegation an easy “archery target”.
He said it was unlikely that a Legco delegation would be able to meet Western politicians and officials who remained hostile towards Hong Kong.
“The visit would be reduced to a public relations exercise, which rarely yields positive results, amid the current political atmosphere,” Lau said.
“[Visits to the West] are of little benefit and highly risky. If such visits lead to embarrassment or hostility, our lawmakers would be criticised for wasting public funds and being humiliated in return. Why take the risk?”
He suggested that efforts by the business sector and civic groups would be more effective.
Visits to the West were superseded by a surge in trips across the border. This term saw 17 trips to the mainland, compared with just three in the previous term, which accounted for half of its six trips in total.
These trips focused on the mainland’s advancements, ranging from modular integrated construction, renewable energy and new energy and transport to medical, elderly and rehabilitation services.
Lau noted that under the revamped “patriots-only” electoral system, visits across the border were no longer “politically sensitive” and would enhance ties between the mainland and Hong Kong.
Tse acknowledged that while the mainland had led globally in fields such as technology, some Western countries still excelled in other areas, including education and environmental protection, from which Hong Kong could learn.
Stressing Hong Kong’s traditional ties with the West, Tse said he hoped that lawmakers returned in the December general election would resume their visits to Europe and North America as geopolitical tensions eased.
Tse emphasised that personal interaction was irreplaceable in fostering relationships and that it was also vital for Legco to “tell the good stories of Hong Kong” in the West.
“When government-to-government exchanges face challenges, people-to-people engagement will be crucial. Legco, which is more representative than non-governmental organisations, can play a pivotal role in facilitating these exchanges,” he said.


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Hong Kong

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But lawmaker hopes that next Legco will resume official visits, arguing that city can learn from West


But lawmaker hopes that next Legco will resume official visits, arguing that city can learn from West.


Legco delegations shun West for 4 years in a first since Hong Kong handover

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}But lawmaker hopes that next Legco will resume official visits, arguing that city can learn from West

But lawmaker hopes that next Legco will resume official visits, arguing that city can learn from West