First held more than a decade ago in the dining hall of the Chinese General Chamber of Commerce headquarters in Connaught Road, Central, NPC delegate meetings in Hong Kong have always been sombre affairs, held in temporary offices. After 2002, a conference room at the central government's liaison office in Western district was made available for the 36 local deputies to the National People's Congress for their monthly meetings.
But following the election of a new batch of 36 NPC delegates last week, the long-running issue of whether there should be a permanent, independent office for the members has grabbed headlines. Opinion is still divided, as it was when the idea was mooted after the first election of Hong Kong NPC deputies in late 1997. But the issue has fuelled debate over the possibility of a changing profile for the delegates.
Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, outgoing NPC Standing Committee member Tsang Hin-chi rejected the idea, saying that some people did not understand the mainland system. He did not name names, but in recent times veteran deputies such as Ip Kwok-him have argued that setting up its own office would greatly strengthen the NPC's work and exchanges between the mainland and Hong Kong.
While the debate over an NPC office in Hong Kong continues, a fresh perspective seems to be emerging from the current debate.
It stems from suggestions that the work of the Hong Kong deputies is entering a new era, with the first signs of change coming in the election last Friday.
The entry of elite figures close to the administration, such as Executive Council members Laura Cha Shih May-lung and Bernard Chan, and ex-ICAC commissioner Fanny Law Fan Chiu-fun, signals profound changes in the interface between the 'two systems' of Hong Kong and the mainland.
