Hong Kong chief executive candidate Henry Tang sets up body 'to unite pro-establishment camp'

Failed chief executive candidate Henry Tang Ying-yen is setting up a new body next month which he believes will help to unite the pro-establishment camp.

But Tang also emphasised that the Federation of Jiangsu Organisations' main goal is apolitical: to foster economic cooperation, especially among small and medium enterprises, between Hong Kong and Jiangsu province - where Tang's father was born.

"In Hong Kong, many people are complacent about our economy, thinking that we will do well anyway … but it's actually not like that," he said.

Tang, who is currently a standing committee member of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, said he hoped the federation would help local businesses find more opportunities in Jiangsu, but the body was unlikely to take part in political and election campaigns.

Since Tang lost to Leung Chun-ying in a dogfight for the top job three years ago, the pro-establishment camp has shown signs of disunity.

Last year, Tang's fellow CPPCC colleagues, Chan Wing-kee and Eddy Li Sau-hung, respectively co-founded federations of Dongguan and Qingyuan organisations, while a similar body was created for Foshan organisations.