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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.

Tung Chee-hwa outlines the expansion plan. Photo: Nora Tam
The 88-strong think tank that Tung Chee-hwa founded in November is expanding, the former chief executive announced yesterday, 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.

The foundation's executive director, Eva Cheng Li Kam-fun, said there were 18 new members.

At least two are Leung supporters: New World Development executive director Leonie Ki Man-fung and former Executive Council member Franklin Lam Fan-keung.

Nine "standing committees" will conduct research in the five areas as well as on Hong Kong-mainland relations, youth and education, sustainable development, innovation, and leisure and culture, sports and arts.

The think tank also unveiled a new logo to replace the old one, which was ridiculed for resembling that used for Leung's election campaign.

When asked whether his foundation had been active because Leung and the government's Central Policy Unit were "incapable", Tung said: "I am only speaking as a common Hong Kong person … because I have deep feelings for the city."

Although Tung initially said he did not want to talk about political reform for the second time in a week, he could not help touching on the topic when he paid tribute to Lu Ping , former director of Beijing's Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office, who died on Sunday.

Tung said Lu helped to ensure the Basic Law included an article allowing universal suffrage for election of the chief executive.

This article appeared in the South China Morning Post print edition as: Tung beefs up think tank to focus on five key areas
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