Local National People's Congress (NPC) deputy Ma Fung-kwok on Monday said Hong Kong delegates should be allowed to play a bigger role in the NPC’s future outbound exchanges or overseas visits.

His remarks came after Zhao Leji, chairman of the NPC Standing Committee, delivered the committee’s work report at the second plenary meeting in Beijing.

As one of the six main tasks for the coming year, Zhao stressed that the NPC would “pursue rigorous international engagement” to contribute to the country’s overall diplomatic agenda.

Ma, who led the Hong Kong delegation, said SAR deputies have a lot of contribute in this regard.

“I suggested that Hong Kong can play an active role in international engagement. In particular, we have built a strong international network and have good language skills. However, we lack practice and experience in the area of ‘diplomacy’,” he said.

“So I think if we could participate in outbound exchanges, it would also be a rare opportunity for the Hong Kong representatives to improve their capabilities."

Hong Kong's sole delegate to the NPC Standing Committee, Starry Lee, echoed Ma’s suggestion, saying SAR representatives could contribute further to the country's development.

She also hailed the work report as being “comprehensive and well-written”, noting that the NPC Standing Committee had “rigorously and meticulously” vetted a large number of laws and reviewed dozens of reports over the past year.

Fellow NPC deputy Priscilla Leung, meanwhile, highlighted Zhao’s call on NPC deputies to conduct more non-governmental diplomacy and strengthen collaboration with foreign parliaments.

Leung, who also chairs the Legislative Council’s Parliamentary Liaison Subcommittee, said she would consider ways to drive the initiative at the local level.


Edited by Priscilla Ng