Political affiliation has never been a consideration in widening the membership of the Trade & Industry Advisory Board.
Secretary for Commerce & Economic Development Edward Yau made the statement to the media after the board's meeting today, saying the Government has widened the board's scope of work and membership to better capture opinions and advice from various sectors.
He said the board needs membership representing the various sectors, as the input from these members is key to helping the Government seek the best policies and convey its message to the community.
"Essentially we are hoping this board, under the reconstituted membership, could draw in more expertise from chambers and also from a lot of professional services which Hong Kong is good at.
"Because these inputs are most important for equipping ourselves, on the one hand seeking the best policy that could apply to Hong Kong in furthering our initiative under the Belt & Road (Initiative) and, at the same time, through their networks, conveying the Government's message and the opportunity to (the) outside.
"So political affiliation has never been a consideration in widening the membership. I should capture as wide as possible a membership that could represent the various sectors of the community."
