Beijing liaison office chief Wang Zhimin expected at Hong Kong Legco meeting next month
Rare visit set for April 23, as pro-democracy lawmakers urge official to not use occasion to lecture Hongkongers
Beijing’s top man in Hong Kong is expected to attend a luncheon in the city’s Legislative Council complex with lawmakers next month – for the first time in five years – with pan-democrats stopping short of a full boycott.
But pro-democracy lawmakers have urged Wang Zhimin, the director of Beijing’s liaison office in the city, not to take advantage of the platform to lecture Hongkongers.
Legislative Council president Andrew Leung Kwan-yuen on Wednesday said the lunch with Wang – whom he invited – would take place on April 23.
“It would be a courtesy meeting ... and I hope [the lawmakers]would take the opportunity to communicate more with Wang” said Leung, as he called on lawmakers to attend.
Democratic Party lawmaker Andrew Wan Siu-kin said his party had yet to discuss over the invitation, but they would likely send a few representatives to the lunch instead of showing a full attendance.
“We neither fully boycott the lunch nor do we fully embrace it,” said Wan. “We have reservation over some remarks made by Wang before and we do not want to offer public a wrong impression.”