CE Has Tried Everything To Stop HK Unrest: Han Zheng

Vice Premier Han Zheng said on Wednesday that Chief Executive Carrie Lam has tried everything possible to stabilise the situation in Hong Kong and has carried out a "huge amount of tough work".

Meeting Lam at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in the capital, Han said it is the joint responsibility of the executive, legislative and judicial branches of power to restore order to the SAR following five months of unrest.

Han, who is the state leader in charge of Hong Kong affairs, said Beijing will continue to fully support the SAR government, as well as the territory's police force.

He added that Lam must now lead her administration into finding a fresh start for Hong Kong.

Lam was summoned to the capital at short notice just days after the conclusion of a meeting of Communist Party leaders where it was decided that Beijing will take steps to "improve" Hong Kong's legal system to "safeguard national security".

The director of the Hong Kong, Macau and Basic Law Commission, Shen Chunyao, said last week that the four-day talks had also involved discussion of ways "to improve the mechanism of appointing and removing the Chief Executive and key officials" of the SAR.