Last week, Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying said that there is no problem with the relationship between the executive authorities and the legislature, and filibustering in the Legislative Council is caused by only a handful of radicals.

With the government's public consultation on political reform drawing to a close, Beijing decided to invite all Legislative Council members to Shanghai.

Earlier this month, the founding chairman of the Democratic Party, Martin Lee Chu-ming, stunned the community by proposing a mechanism for screening candidates of the chief executive election in 2017. He suggested at least five candidates be allowed to stand in the election which will be by universal suffrage, hoping this would ensure a member from the pro-democracy camp can compete.