Revamped Office On SAR Affairs Benefits Hong Kong: CE

Chief Executive John Lee said on Friday that Beijing's reforms to its office overseeing Hong Kong and Macau affairs will allow for more effective and accurate implementation of policies, thanks to stronger leadership from central authorities.

Beijing announced on Thursday that the work office overseeing the two SARs will be put under the control of the Communist Party's central committee, rather than the State Council.

Speaking in the capital, Lee said the new office will benefit the implementation of One Country, Two Systems, strengthen the principle of patriots administering Hong Kong, and better safeguard national security.

"The Central People's Government is always thinking close to the heart of the well-beings of Hong Kong and Hong Kong citizens," he told reporters at a press conference wrapping up his Beijing visit.

"So the formation of this office will certainly strengthen the implementation of policies in this regard, and it will be helpful to Hong Kong's overall prosperity and stability."

Lee said state leaders have stressed in the past that Hong Kong's high degree of autonomy is linked to the central government's comprehensive jurisdiction of the SAR, and the new office will strengthen this linkage.

The CE also stressed that President Xi Jinping had reiterated on various occasions that the principles of One Country, Two Systems, Hong Kong people administering Hong Kong and high degree of autonomy will not change.

Asked whether the revamped office will still be headed by the current director, Xia Baolong, Lee said that's to be announced by the central government.