CE To Tackle Political Impasse In Policy Address

Chief Executive Carrie Lam has singled out the political impasse here as the main obstacle to solving livelihood issues and says it's a problem she'll have to deal with in her next policy address, which is expected in October.

In her last policy address, four months into the anti-government protests sparked by her bid last year to amend Hong Kong's extradition laws, Lam said little about the political storm battering the city, instead focussing on housing, welfare and economic issues.

But in an interview with Hong Kong Open TV, aired on Thursday night, Lam said If the SAR's political problems "remain unsolved, it will be very difficult for the government to make any moves".

Therefore, she said, the "coming policy address is inseparable from ‘talking about politics’.”

Lam also said it had been hard to communicate with the pro-democracy camp and that was why she'd been unwilling to do question and answer sessions in the Legislative Council.

She reiterated that education will be a key area of focus in the remaining two years of her tenure, saying problems in this area are political in nature.

She also expressed hopes that the city's financial industries can continue to expand by focusing on the growing middle class on the mainland.

Describing Hong Kong as an international financial centre for the 1.4 billion people on the mainland, Lam said her administration was in discussions about more cross-border links in financial services.

But Lam said, because of the coronavirus pandemic, she wouldn't be able to consult as usual this year but instead would pick ten focus issues. She said she would then invite stakeholders to her office to express their views.

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