On Thursday the Secretary for Justice, Elsie Leung Oi-sie, led three senior officials to visit the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) central party college in Beijing.
Ms Leung said she asked to visit the college because she wanted to dispel misconceptions.
Ms Leung, a former delegate to the National People's Congress, jokingly denied she was a party member. She said the party college conjured up feelings in Hong Kong people of a 'mysterious and horrible place'.
Thus she wanted to use the visit to show that it is merely a fine training institute for civil servants. The only difference between the college and other universities was that the former provided a lot of on-the-job training.
The three officials accompanying Ms Leung - Solicitor-General Daniel Fung Wah-kin, law draftsman Tony Yen Yuen-ho and Director of Administration and Development Stephen Lam Sui-lung, were apparently thrilled by the experience. Mr Yen told reporters he wanted to attend courses there.
Other officials at the Department of Justice immediately followed Ms Leung's cue. The Director of Public Prosecutions Grenville Cross, who led a delegation to Beijing on March 28, also asked to visit the college. Ms Leung said she did not want to 'brainwash' Mr Cross.