China’s central authority on Monday said it would “gauge public opinions” about the electoral overhaul planned for Hong Kong, even though the country’s rubber-stamp parliament already greenlit the entire proposal last week.

For three consecutive days starting on Monday, mainland officials will organize a series of public conferences and visits by the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office, the Hong Kong Liaison Office and the Legislative Affairs Commission of the National People’s Congress Standing Committee.

Officials will meet more than 1,000 people in a total of 60 sessions, with a maximum of 15 people for each session, said Zhang Xiaoming, the deputy director of the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office.

Beijing is “all ears” to receive views from the public, Zhang said, adding that the decision made by the National People’s Congress on “improving” the semi-autonomous city’s electoral system was the foundation that Hong Kong must adhere to in the future.

The NPC passed a resolution on March 11 to rewrite Hong Kong’s electoral rules. The package includes increasing the number of seats in the Legislative Council from 70 to 90 and expanding the power to the Election Committee, which is responsible for selecting the city’s chief executive, to vet and nominate candidates for legislative elections.

The central government will take a “consistent and sincere” approach during the consultations, said Luo Huining, the director of the Hong Kong Liaison Office. Luo emphasized that Beijing has attached great importance and caution to the electoral reform.

Luo also revealed Beijing has set up a special office to study the reform package.

Zhang Yong, the deputy director of the NPC Standing Committee’s Legislative Affairs Commission, said he hoped to see different opinions emerging during the consultation sessions.

He said it was normal that a law could not satisfy everyone and added that he aimed to formulate legislation that everyone would accept and abide by.

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