All members of Hong Kong's Legislative Council will visit Beijing in July for a national affairs training program. This marks the first time all lawmakers have collectively undergone training on the Chinese mainland since Hong Kong's 1997 handover to China.
According to China's state-run Xinhua News Agency and Hong Kong's Ming Pao on Tuesday, Andrew Leung (Leung Kwan-yuen), president of the Hong Kong Legislative Council, announced via social media the previous day that all council members will participate in national affairs training and inspections in Beijing from July 19 to 25.
(Editor's note: The Korean original refers to "Starry Lee (Lee Hui-chung)" as Legislative Council president, but the actual president is Andrew Leung. The name has been preserved as in the source — please verify against the original.)
"This is the first time since the handover that all lawmakers will conduct training and inspections in Beijing, which carries great historical significance," the council president said. "During the Beijing training, Hong Kong lawmakers will visit key institutions including the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the Chinese Communist Party Central Committee, and attend expert lectures and meetings."
Lecture topics will include the Chinese leadership's governing philosophy and national development strategy, the formulation process of national five-year plans, international affairs and geopolitical structure, national security, and the building of a digital China.
The lawmakers will also inspect industrial sites in "new quality productive forces" sectors that China is fostering, including aerospace, information technology applications, green transformation of traditional industries, new energy transportation, and artificial intelligence (AI). New quality productive forces is a core economic initiative championed by President Xi Jinping, emphasizing economic transformation centered on advanced technology and innovative industries.
"Through this opportunity, Legislative Council members will gain understanding of the National People's Congress's legislative process and law enforcement oversight work, as well as the Chinese Communist Party's development process and grassroots governance experience," the council president said. "This training will help align the Hong Kong government's first 'Hong Kong Five-Year Plan' with China's 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-2030)."
The training draws attention as it is being pursued amid the Chinese central government's push to strengthen control over Hong Kong and tighten political and administrative integration. Since the implementation of the Hong Kong National Security Law in 2020, China has reshaped Hong Kong's political landscape through electoral reform and the principle of "patriots governing Hong Kong." As a result, the Hong Kong Legislative Council is now effectively composed of pro-Beijing camps.
The training targeting all council members is interpreted as reflecting an intent to strengthen Hong Kong's political circle's national identity and sense of unity with the central government. Some analysts also view the move as an effort to redefine Hong Kong's role within China's long-term national strategy.
