Legislators can help solve cross-border issues.

(From South China Morning Post)

I commend Albert Cheng King-hon on his column "Forget the politics for once" (September 3).

He referred to the coming visit of Chief Executive Donald Tsang Yam-kuen and the 60 legislators to four cities in Guangdong province. He urged some of his democratic-minded colleagues to use this opportunity to discuss with mainland officials livelihood issues which affect Hong Kong people.

For example: effective notification from the mainland on unhygienic food; co-ordination to prevent the outbreak of contagious diseases on both sides; and control cross-border pollution. Another important point he made was that there is no formal communication channel between Hong Kong and provincial governments to help Hong Kong residents trapped in traffic-accident investigations, commercial disputes, civil litigation and inquiries into robberies and other crimes.

Hong Kong officials always say that we are working within "one country, two systems", so we should not meddle in the mainland's legal system. But, surely, establishing a formal channel of communication with provincial governments to gain information about a situation and the condition …