All 90 Hong Kong lawmakers to visit Beijing for first time since 1997 handover

Lawmakers have been told the seven-day visit to the capital will run from July 19 to 25, SCMP has learned

Hong Kong’s legislature is set to visit Beijing as a full body for the first time since the city’s return to Chinese sovereignty in 1997, with all 90 lawmakers expected to join the delegation as it seeks better alignment with the national 15th five-year plan.

Legislative Council president Starry Lee Wai-king announced on Wednesday that the trip would take place in July.

Lawmakers were informed that the seven-day visit to the capital would run from July 19 to 25, during the legislature’s summer recess, the South China Morning Post learned.

“If we have the opportunity to visit Beijing, it will allow us to gain a first-hand understanding of the latest national developments, the specific arrangements under the 15th five-year plan and the overall national strategies,” Lee said.

She said the visit would help legislators better support Hong Kong’s alignment with the national blueprint, which would guide the nation’s development from 2026 to 2030, and assist the local government in formulating and implementing the city’s first five-year plan.

But Lee stopped short of revealing whether the delegation would meet state leaders, saying further details would be released once they were finalised.