District councillors latest to make trip across the border
Members of Kwun Tong District Council yesterday visited Guangdong for the first time, in another sign of improving dialogue with the mainland authorities.
The visit by a delegation of about 30 councillors, including two Democratic Party members, follows last month's landmark trip to the province by lawmakers from across the political spectrum.
Despite the largely non-political agenda, the municipal exchange is widely seen as an attempt by Beijing to ease political tension in Hong Kong.
Arriving for the three-day visit in Guangzhou yesterday, Kwun Tong District Council chairman Chan Chung-bun said that it was the first time he and his colleagues had been to the mainland in an official capacity.
Democrat councillor Danny Chin Ching-man said he had no plans to raise political issues with municipal officials. He said constitutional reform was a matter for the central and Hong Kong governments to deal with.
'We are trying to better communicate with the municipal authorities. There is no need to deliberately raise political issues,' he said.
The delegation was yesterday scheduled to visit universities and tourist spots, before meeting officials today. A similar visit has been scheduled for Tuen Mun District Council later this month.
