Amid the increasing polarisation of the Hong Kong politics after the 2014 Occupy protests and amid the 2019 anti-extradition protests, three moderate pro-Beijing figures "3JT", former Liberal Party leader James Tien who lost his seat on the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) because he asked for Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying to step down, former Financial Secretary John Tsang who failed to gain the Beijing government's support and lost to Carrie Lam in the 2017 Chief Executive election, and former Legislative Council President Jasper Tsang, explored the idea of forming a "middle-of-the road" political group.