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Alice Wu

After the annual “two sessions” in Beijing, it’s clear that Hong Kong policymakers have their work cut out for them. It has been made abundantly clear what is expected of Hong Kong: stop messing around and get on with the national programme.
Hong Kong is part of the nation’s plans to move forward. The country knows exactly where the city fits into the big picture, how it can catapult growth in key areas and play the role of superconnector between China and the rest of the world.
The 15th five-year plan outlined the city’s task of building a commodity trading ecosystem, a high-quality supply chain service centre and a global talent hub. Beijing has reiterated its support for Hong Kong to continue its drive to not only be an international finance centre but to be the centre for shipping, trade, aviation, and innovation and technology. The Northern Metropolis is still on Beijing’s radar.
Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu has pledged to align with the national strategies and reiterated that his administration will hash out the city’s plan. Lee said he would get that job done before the end of the year and lead all bureaus to complete the plan.
Lee has a lot on his plate; we can’t possibly expect him to be hands-on with everything. Hong Kong runs on an executive-led system, but it cannot be a system where things only get done if the chief executive personally leads and oversees everything.

Beijing knows this. Chinese Vice-Premier Ding Xuexiang has emphasised that implementing an executive-led governance system in Hong Kong is a “shared responsibility”. The legislative and judicial branches, and society as a whole, must support the model.
The Legislative Council had already given the Lee administration considerable support by trusting his “result-oriented” government to get things done. The previous legislature approved a record number of bills. However, staying out of the executive branch’s way didn’t quite deliver ideal results.
Therefore, it’s good to see the city’s sole representative to the National People’s Congress Standing Committee, Starry Lee Wai-king – who is also Legco president – thinking out loud about the lawmaking branch’s role.
The obstructionist form of politics that once defined the fraught relationship between the executive and legislative branches has been out for some time. Its dysfunctions were blamed for holding the city back. But what has ensued under the patriots-only legislature? Laws, like that requiring passengers to wear seat belts on buses, that weren’t drafted competently, for one thing.

Starry Lee said the legislature would consider establishing a new mechanism to scrutinise the implementation of approved bills and funding, and that it would draw inspiration from the mainland’s law enforcement inspection system. It’s definitely a good place to start because Legco’s roles and responsibilities need updating. Scrutinising bills, asking questions and the work of the legislature must be performed effectively.
In the previous legislative term, lawmakers had to gauge whether raising tough questions might be misconstrued as being “naughty” while fighting hard against the notion that they were merely rubber stamps.
Speaking of which, former lawmaker Doreen Kong Yuk-foon, who pointed out the error in the seat belt legislation, was once called a “naughty girl” and accused of “attention-seeking monkey play” by a colleague while in office, simply for raising a legality issue that the High Court actually agreed with in the end.
With open “opposition” deemed to be “monkey play”, the Legco Ante Chamber exchange sessions – the signature feature of a cooperative relationship where government officials and lawmakers carry out frank and open discussions out of the public’s earshot – need to be more than friendly chats.
If it takes adopting new methods to supervise the work of the government, then that’s exactly what Legco needs to do. Taking a leaf from the NPC’s book and adapting it to fit the city’s system would not cause unnecessary alarm.
The attention being paid to processes should be welcomed, because the bulk of the work is in implementation. The city has learned the hard way that focusing too much on “results” and “streamlining” processes has meant sacrificing quality for speed.
The chief executive himself seems to have changed his tune, saying his administration would adopt a “systematic policy framework” to “formulate a more comprehensive, precise and meticulous strategic deployment for key development areas”.
Perhaps taking on a supervisory role is what Legco needs to do to deliver the “practical outcomes” the vice-premier called for. The executive-led governance system may just need a different system of oversight where Legco can perform well.


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Hong Kong politics

Mainland-style oversight system could help Legco to deliver

Legislative Council president Starry Lee chairs the first meeting of the eighth legislature in Admiralty on January 14. Photo: Eugene Lee

Politburo Standing Committee members Ding Xuexiang (left) and Wang Huning chat during the opening session of the National People’s Congress in Beijing, on March 5. Photo: AP

Then lawmaker Doreen Kong speaks to the press at Legco in Admiralty to announce her decision not to run in the coming Legislative Council election, on October 22, 2025. Photo: Nora Tam

Hong Kong Legco to explore mainland-style oversight system for bills enforcement

Starry Lee also brushed off concerns that the city’s first five-year plan could undermine the ‘one country, two systems’ principle. Photo: Jelly Tse

Legco president Starry Lee’s proposal follows Vice-Premier Ding Xuexiang’s call for the city’s legislature to deliver more “practical outcomes”. Photo: Matthew Cheng

Hong Kong’s John Lee pledges to align with nation’s new 5-year plan

The closing meeting of the fourth Session of the 14th National People’s Congress at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Thursday. Photo: EPA

City leader John Lee has also mentioned his commitment to fast-tracking the Northern Metropolis. Photo: May Tse

‘Deliver more practical outcomes,’ Chinese vice-premier tells Hong Kong Legco

Chinese Vice-Premier Ding Xuexiang (centre) has met the city’s deputies to the national legislature. Photo: Xinhua

Legco president Starry Lee has highlighted the legislature’s efforts to support the nation’s 15th five-year plan. Photo: Eugene Lee

Chief Executive John Lee poses for pictures with newly elected legislators in January. Photo: Sam Tsang

Beijing’s message is clear: Hong Kong must shape up and speed up

Pedestrians cross a busy intersection in Hong Kong’s Central district on February 25. Photo: AFP

China’s State Council Information Office holds a press briefing on the draft outline of the 15th five-year plan (2026-2030) in Beijing on March 7. The plan is set to be finalised at the “two sessions”. Photo: Xinhua

Chinese Vice-Premier Ding Xuexiang (standing), also head of the Central Leading Group on Hong Kong and Macau Affairs, meets the city’s deputies to the national legislature in a meeting during the “two sessions” on March 7. Photo: Matthew Cheng

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Hong Kong’s executive-led governance system may just need a different type of oversight where the legislature can perform well


Hong Kong’s executive-led governance system may just need a different type of oversight where the legislature can perform well.


Two Sessions 2026 (Lianghui)

Legislative Council of Hong Kong (Legco)

John Lee

Starry Lee Wai-king

National People's Congress (NPC)

National People’s Congress Standing Committee (China)

Doreen Kong Yuk-foon

Ding Xuexiang

Expresses the views, ideas and conclusions of the author. (Eg. Enough of Crazy Rich Asians, think of crazy poor Hongkongers.)


Mainland-style oversight system could help Legco to deliver

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Hong Kong’s executive-led governance system may just need a different type of oversight where the legislature can perform well

Hong Kong’s executive-led governance system may just need a different type of oversight where the legislature can perform well