CE welcomes liaison office's outreach

Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor on Tuesday welcomed central government officials' outreach to the local community, saying the move will help bring Hong Kong residents closer to the mainland and benefit local governance.

Speaking to the media ahead of the weekly Executive Council meeting, Lam thanked intensive efforts made by the central government's liaison office in Hong Kong during a citywide campaign to engage local communities from Sept 30 to Sunday.

Under "one country, two systems", it is the interest and responsibility of the liaison office to obtain firsthand information about the situation in Hong Kong, in addition to receiving reports from the chief executive, Lam said.

Lam said she was grateful for the liaison office's efforts, which have helped reduce the "alienation" of Hong Kong people from the central government. In times to come, Hong Kong people will develop a greater sense of national identity from their closer ties with the mainland, which will be conducive to the effective operation of "one country, two systems" in Hong Kong.

The day before, Lu Xinning, deputy director of the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in Hong Kong, said liaison office staff had talked to nearly 4,000 residents in Hong Kong, including visits to more than 900 small business owners and households living in subdivided flats and public rental homes within the previous 11 days. The office collected more than 6,340 pieces of advice and suggestions on topics including housing, education, youth development, the pandemic and Hong Kong's integration with the mainland.

Lam expressed particular interest in the views and suggestions concerning the mainland, such as facilitating the resumption of normal cross-border travel, allowing Hong Kong youths — especially professional service providers — to develop in the mainland cities of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.

She added she believed proposals on local issues, such as addressing housing and youth mobility, were in line with the information at hand and also the policy direction of the SAR government.

After obtaining advice from the liaison office, Lam said she would liaise with mainland authorities in her capacity as chief executive to bring forward proposals from the local community.