Hong Kong’s Legislative Council will visit Beijing in July as a full body for the first time since the city’s return to Chinese sovereignty in 1997. The announcement by Legco president Starry Lee Wai-king is historically significant. Until a few years ago, the presence of pan-democrats in the legislature made such a visit impossible. With the legislature composed entirely of “patriots” following electoral reforms in 2021, it is now part of the establishment, alongside the executive government and the judiciary. A priority will be to help the government formulate and implement Hong Kong’s first five-year plan to dovetail with the mainland’s development blueprint.

The visit underscores the reality that alignment with national priorities is now a central mission of governance. Legislators are expected to engage with mainland officials on the country’s 15th five-year plan. Their role will be to better understand how Hong Kong can contribute to and benefit from this national strategy, ensuring that policies dovetail with the broader goals of modernisation, innovation and integration.

Equally important, the trip will help lawmakers support the formulation and implementation of Hong Kong’s first-ever five-year plan, soon to be the subject of public consultation. This signals a shift towards long-term, structured development in line with the mainland. Through talks in Beijing, legislators will be better equipped to assist in crafting measures that strengthen Hong Kong’s competitiveness while cementing its place in the national framework.

The journey to Beijing is thus more than symbolic. It reflects the legislature’s transformation into a body that actively advances national objectives, while positioning Hong Kong to play a more coordinated role in China’s next stage of development.

Since Beijing overhauled the city’s electoral system in 2021 to ensure a “patriots-only” administration, Legco had been planning a group visit to the capital. But it was not feasible during the pandemic.

It is good as well as natural that Legco is making the trip now. Members, after all, are supposed to scrutinise Hong Kong’s own five-year plan and may need to pass legislation related to it.