'Legco Head Must Make HKMAO Director Meeting Public'

Democratic Party lawmaker, James To, has urged the Legislative Council president to disclose exactly what was said at their behind-closed-doors meeting with the director of the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office Xia Baolong.

Andrew Leung told reporters on Monday that he was invited to meet Xia in a personal capacity in Shenzhen over the weekend, and that he used the meeting to pass on lawmakers' views about Beijing's national security law for Hong Kong.

He declined to reveal any more about his talks with Xia, saying he believes the office will continue to listen to other opinions on the legislation.

But To said there was no way that could be the case, saying "when he was invited to the meeting, he was invited as the president of Legco, not Mr Leung Kwan-yin. No, it's not in any sense a private capacity."

He also urged Leung to allow lawmakers to discuss the national security law at Wednesday's meeting, after blocking multiple calls for an urgent debate.

To said it was ridiculous that Legco could not hold a debate on a major issue that concerns Hong Kong, and that people in Hong Kong were not consulted on the law.