Legislative Council (LegCo) President Andrew Leung Kwan-yuen speaks during a luncheon at the Hong Kong Legislative Council Complex, in Central, Hong Kong, Nov 17, 2023. (ANDY CHONG / CHINA DAILY)

The Legislative Council (LegCo) will promote high-quality and efficient political discussions and coordinate with the Hong Kong SAR government to seek greater development for Hong Kong in the next 25 years, council president Andrew Leung Kwan-yuen pledged on Friday.

Leung made the remarks at a luncheon with high-level government officials including Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu, which was held to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the council.

Andrew Leung Kwan-yuen added that as an important part of the SAR’s governance team, the council should embrace changes and be more efficient in public policy discussion and debate

Leung said that as a microcosm of Hong Kong society, LegCo has also experienced highs and lows over the past 25 years. In the past, every chief executive and the president of the Legislative Council attached great importance to the executive-legislative relations. Yet due to various reasons, the relationship has become tense, and even confrontational, he said.

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After improving the electoral system of the HKSAR, the Legislative Council restored order and stability. Leung believes that under the leadership of the current chief executive, the positive interaction between the government and the legislature will continue to deepen, and their relationship will reach an even higher level.

A celebratory luncheon is held to mark the 25th anniversary of the founding of the Legislative Council of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, at the Hong Kong Legislative Council Complex, in Central, Hong Kong, Nov 17, 2023. (ANDY CHONG / CHINA DAILY)

Leung added that as an important part of the SAR’s governance team, the council should embrace changes and be more efficient in public policy discussion and debate.

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Besides lawmakers and government officials, former Legislative Council presidents Rita Fan Hsu Lai-tai and Jasper Tsang Yok-sing, and two former secretaries-general also attended the luncheon.