Carrie Lam To Visit Beijing Next Tuesday For Talks

Chief Executive Carrie Lam said on Tuesday that she will be making a three-day trip to Beijing next week, to discuss with the central government her proposals to stimulate the local economy.

She said when she first announced the trip to the capital, which she had said would take place last week, the understanding at that time was that it would only be a one-day trip.

But now the trip has been extended to three days.

Lam said she will go to Shenzhen for quarantine after next Tuesday's Executive Council meeting, stay for a night and then head north. On her way back, she will also go to Guangzhou and Shenzhen, before coming back to the SAR.

"Everyone knows, the fifth plenary session of [the Communist Party] central committee meeting began yesterday. Of course, [I] would not make a visit to Beijing during the meeting," the Hong Kong leader told reporters before her weekly Exco meeting.

Lam said the extended trip would not affect her plan to announce her annual Policy Address late next month. She postponed the address, citing the need to discuss economic policies with the central government.

Five ministers will join her visit to the capital – mainland affairs chief Erick Tsang, transport chief Frank Chan, health minister Sophia Chan, IT head Alfred Sit, and financial services minister Christopher Hui.

When asked if she would talk to mainland officials about allowing Hongkongers on the mainland to vote in SAR elections, Lam said the planned discussions in Beijing will be solely on economic issues, and not any other topic.

She said it's difficult to get a consensus on issues with a mainland dimension like the elections, and her administration is revisiting this idea, as it had been brought up in the legislature in the past.