LCQ16: Promoting development of think-tank community
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Question:
There are views suggesting that Hong Kong's think tanks have a distinct advantage and potential in policy research, public governance and external cooperation, which can help further strengthen Hong Kong's position in the overall development of the country. To enable think tanks to play their role more fully, the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region has introduced a number of support measures in recent years, including the Strategic Public Policy Research Funding Scheme and the Public Policy Research Funding Scheme. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1) whether it is aware of the following information regarding think tanks in Hong Kong: (i) the number of organisations; (ii) their main areas of research; (iii) the number of annual research reports; (iv) the composition of their funding sources; and (v) their latest rankings among think tanks in Asia and globally; how the Government currently defines, or intends to define formally in the future, the term "think tank" (including whether it will establish clear criteria or guidelines, such as non-profit status, independence requirements, and scope of research);
(2) whether there are specific plans and policies in place to promote the development of think tanks in Hong Kong, and whether it will consider introducing more targeted measures to further enhance their international influence;
(3) whether an assessment has been made regarding the current role, specific work and effectiveness of Hong Kong's think tanks in manpower training for young political talent, nurturing opinion leaders and facilitating the "revolving door" mechanism for talent, and whether it will consider providing further support to think tanks in order to strengthen their role as a pool of patriotic political talent with affection for our country and Hong Kong;
(4) how does the Government currently evaluate and utilise think tank recommendations to maximise their effectiveness; whether it will consider further optimising mechanisms to facilitate the translation of think tank research findings into actual policies, and strengthen regular communication and co-operation between the Government and think tanks; and
(5) as the 1 500 members of the Election Committee (EC) come from different sectors, how will the Government better gather views through them, including whether it will establish an institutionalised mechanism to enable EC members to participate in policy research and external exchanges, and publish relevant views in the form of think tank reports; will the Government further explore developing EC into Hong Kong's "largest think tank platform" to strengthen its role in good governance?
Reply:
President,
Regarding the various parts of the question raised by the Hon Hung Kam-in, my consolidated reply, which is based on the information provided by the Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Bureau and the Chief Executive's Policy Unit (CEPU), is as follows:
(1) Think tanks are important partners of the Government in the policy-making process, contributing from policy incubation, conception to formulation, implementation, and review. The Government hence attaches great importance to maintaining connections with think tanks, including research centres in higher education institutions (university think tanks), corporate planning and research centres (corporate think tanks) and think tanks in the community, and continues to facilitate the development of the think tank sector through various channels. The Government currently does not maintain detailed information on local think tanks. Indeed, each think tank has its own positioning with diverse research interests. They also differ in terms of operating objectives, structures, and organisational backgrounds. It is therefore difficult to arrive at a single, unified definition.
(2) and (4) Since its establishment, the CEPU has been dedicated to harnessing the policy research strengths of think tanks, drawing extensively on their outstanding research achievements, and translating researches that integrate both local and international perspectives into valuable references for internal policy studies, thereby strengthening knowledge exchange and social participation in the policy-making process. Specifically, the CEPU supports public policy research think tanks by providing funding support through the Public Policy Research Funding Scheme and the Strategic Public Policy Research Funding Scheme to encourage university think tanks and think tanks in the community to apply their expertise to conduct evidence-based researches on key public policy issues. Since its establishment, the CEPU has implemented a series of innovative reforms under its funding schemes, aiming to enhance the overall impact of granted projects. Relevant initiatives include inviting representatives from relevant policy bureaux to join discussions, ensuring that research directions align closely with policy priorities. In addition, for the first time, the CEPU has established a dedicated recognition mechanism to recognise the social impact of outstanding researchers and institutions, encouraging more researchers in university think tanks to transform quality foundational researches into practical applied studies. Furthermore, over the past two years, the CEPU has organised nearly 20 policy seminars, workshops, and roundtable meetings for the research projects, inviting participation of representatives from the Government, industries, academia and research institutions. These platforms foster collaboration among the Government and industry, academia and research sectors, enabling research teams to absorb the latest insights and diverse professional perspectives.
Separately, the CEPU has established a regular communication mechanism to maintain close ties with think tanks. In addition to roundtable meetings, thematic seminars, visits, and one-on-one meetings to gather views from academia and policy research experts, the CEPU also held dedicated consultation sessions for the 2024 and 2025 Policy Address to gather views and suggestions from the think tank sector. Think tank representatives were also invited to attend other consultation sessions on various policy areas that align with their respective interests and expertise.
Looking ahead, the CEPU will continue to maintain close communication with local think tanks, including university, corporate and community think tanks, and actively facilitate the application of policy research findings. Through its funding schemes, the CEPU will continue to act as a catalyst for translating evidence-based researches that integrate both local and international perspectives into valuable references for internal policy studies, fostering a vibrant network of local think tanks.
(3) With regard to political talent, the Government implemented the Political Appointment System for Principal Officials in 2002, and introduced the positions of Under Secretaries and Political Assistants in 2008 following a review, providing political talents with a more comprehensive career development pathway. The Government has been actively recruiting suitable talents from various sectors with different backgrounds and professions from both inside and outside the government structure, thereby enabling the Government to be more comprehensive and effective in policy formulation and implementation with the support of the civil service. In fact, the current-term Government's team comprises people from various sectors of the community, including think tanks, meeting the objectives of attracting talents, serving the community and improving governance.
(5) The Election Committee is a key part of the electoral system of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR). In accordance with Annex I and Annex II to the Basic Law, the HKSAR establishes an Election Committee which is broadly representative, suited to HKSAR's actual situation, and represents the overall interests of the society. It is responsible for electing the Chief Executive designate and some members of the Legislative Council, and nominating candidates for the Chief Executive and the Legislative Council.
The role and statutory functions of the Election Committee are set out in the Basic Law. While the Election Committee does not have an attached think tank mechanism, Election Committee members have all along proactively put forth their views and suggestions in their respective capacities and through relevant bodies and sectors, as well as engaged in exchanges and collaboration across different sectors to jointly promote Hong Kong's long-term development.
Ends/Wednesday, April 22, 2026
Issued at HKT 18:30
Issued at HKT 18:30
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