The current Legislative Council operates with "high quality and efficiency," restoring rational governance thanks to the improved electoral system, according to Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu.
His remarks were made during a seminar on Executive-Legislative Collaboration for Good Governance and Better Future on Thursday morning(Oct 16).
He praised the current council's achievements, asserting that the principle of "patriots administering Hong Kong" within an executive-led system has fostered productive interactions with the government.
Notably, LegCo has passed approximately 130 bills in its four-year term -- marking a 60 percent increase over the previous term.
He added that LegCo's finance committee approved 261 projects totaling HK$697.2 billion, including HK$520 billion for 124 infrastructure initiatives to boost land and housing supply and improve transportation.
Highlighting his administration's effort to improve the executive-legislative relationship, Lee also proposed holding monthly ante-chamber meetings to facilitate the exchange of views.
Additionally, Lee pointed out that the enhanced electoral system has effectively countered the previous disruptions caused by anti-China individuals, which had long hijacked the workings of the Legislative Council and District Councils.
He attributed Hong Kong's overall success to the "One Country, Two Systems" framework, which he said has been crucial to rebuilding governance and restoring economic momentum.
Expressing confidence that the new LegCo will continue this momentum, Lee encouraged patriotic candidates to run in the upcoming election in December and called on the public to vote.
Echoing Lee's sentiment, Chief Secretary Eric Chan Kwok-ki described the current LegCo as having achieved a "leap in quality and quantity" in its efficiency.
Chan attributed the improvement to the restoration of mutual trust between the branches, noting the policy bureau can now focus on policy formulation that benefits citizens as soon as possible.
He referenced the 91 amendments made during the discussion on the Safeguarding National Security Ordinance as an example of this productive dynamic, which makes the legislation "more refined" and demonstrates executive-legislative responsibility.
Both leaders expressed hopes to collaborate with the new council to advance the city on its "new journey to prosperity."
