HK’s Lam in Beijing for chief executive talks

Hong Kong’s fifth chief executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet- ngor met with senior central government officials in Beijing Monday to talk about the administration of Hong Kong during her term and to win support from the central government, analysts said.

Lam kicked off her four- day visit to the capital by spending two hours with Wang Guangya, director of the State Council’s Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office, Hong Kong- based Phoenix TV reported.

Lam was accompanied by Jessie Ting Yip Yin- mei, secretary- general of the chief executive- elect’s office, said the report.

Lam told the media late Sunday that she planned to discuss preparations for the city’s new administration with Wang, the Hong Kong- based South China Morning Post reported.

No details of the meeting have been revealed to the public as of press time.

“Lam’s visit is a routine step to receive the appointment,” Tian Feilong, a legal expert and associate professor at Beihang University in Beijing, told the Global Times on Monday.

Tian said that they would possibly touch upon cooperation between the mainland and Hong Kong under the Basic Law.

Lam will meet with Premier Li Keqiang on Tuesday to receive her formal appointment and will also be received by President Xi Jinping in a separate meeting on the same day, according to the Phoenix TV report.

Tian noted that during the meeting, Lam would possibly explain her administrative plan in details to the central government, in a bid to win the latter’s support.

“Lam also wanted to know the central government’s priorities, after which she can act appropriately during the term to promote Hong Kong’s engagement in national economic strategies such as the One Belt and One Road initiative,” Tian elaborated.

According to Tian, in future, the central government would administer Hong Kong through support and help, rather than giving orders, to avoid interfering with the city’s issues.

Lam told the media on Sunday that she had been working around the clock to find ministers for the next administration, according to the South China Morning Post.

Lam made her comments before leaving Hong Kong for Beijing in the company of her husband, mathematician Professor Lam Siu- por.