Eyeing unity, 22 Hong Kong pan-democratic lawmakers agree to tell one another if a meeting with Beijing is afoot

Pan-democrat lawmakers have set up a four-member liaison group to inform one another about any future meeting with Beijing officials.

Labour Party lawmaker Cyd Ho Sau-lan, a member of the group, said the idea was to strengthen trust among pan-democrats, yet she noted no punishment would ensue if a lawmaker met Beijing officials without notifying the group.

“This is only a group for internal communication,” Ho said today. “The group will not represent the pan-democrats in meeting Beijing officials.”

The group came together after Democratic Party chairwoman Emily Lau Wai-hing and four party colleagues met Feng Wei, deputy director of the State Council’s Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office, last month.

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The meeting was seen as Beijing offering an olive branch to the camp, but Ho and some pan-democrats called for improved transparency within the camp. Some democrats were upset news of the meeting was withheld from them.