Hong Kong’s Tung Chee-hwa beefs up think tank by adding advisers, committees
The 88-strong think tank that Tung Chee-hwa founded in November is expanding, with an extra 18 advisers and nine committees to research various policy areas and "engage" Hongkongers.
But Tung, who chairs the Our Hong Kong Foundation, dismissed a suggestion that he was trying to build a shadow government to help beleaguered Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying.
Making his second public appearance in a week, the 77-year-old said think tanks "play an important role" in providing policy recommendations in Western democracies, and he hoped his would help Hong Kong.
"Think tanks provide long-term thinking … and help democratic societies come together. The fact we have them in Hong Kong but they are not very effective doesn't mean we should not start another which hopefully will be more effective," Tung said.
He broke a nine-year silence when he formed the foundation last year and called on Hongkongers of "all political stripes" to cast aside their differences and work together to achieve universal suffrage.
Tung, a vice-chairman of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, said his think tank had decided to conduct policy research in five key areas: housing and land, economic development, ageing and health care, retirement protection, and political reform.