CE rejects interference claims

January 16, 2018

Chief Executive Carrie Lam:
The Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government is an organ of the Central People’s Government in Hong Kong, with very clear duties and responsibilities as authorised by the State Council. If you look at each and every of the five duties and responsibilities, they are all there to help us to enhance liaison with the relevant ministries and organisations in the Mainland to promote the interests of Hong Kong, to reflect the interests of Hong Kong people and to liaise with the state enterprises in Hong Kong. So they are all working towards the objective of ensuring the success of “one country, two systems”, and they will fully abide by the Basic Law. In this term of the Government, I take a slightly more pragmatic approach in my working relationship with the Central People’s Government Liaison Office, because if we are to fully or better integrate with national development as laid down by President Xi Jinping in his report to the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, this is all for Hong Kong’s better prospects. So in order to better integrate into the national development, we do need a lot more liaison, a lot more understanding, of the national strategies and this is where the role of the Liaison Office, or for that matter, the OCMFA, that is Office of the Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs comes in. So when I said I’d take a more pragmatic business approach towards the relationship with the CPG Liaison Office, it’s that I would invite CPG officials to discuss with me whenever there is a Mainland angle. I have to stress this time again. It is not the involving the CPG Liaison Officer in internal affairs of Hong Kong where we practise a high degree of autonomy. It is in the issue which has a very strong Mainland angle and perspective, and this sort of liaison will help Hong Kong. So, I hope to clear any misunderstanding about this working relationship between the HKSAR government and the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government once and for all.

The Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region is not involved in Hong Kong's internal affairs.

Chief Executive Carrie Lam made the statement before today's Executive Council meeting, in response to media enquiries on Liaison Office Director Wang Zhimin's recent remarks about enhancing co-operation with the HKSAR Government.

Mrs Lam said the Liaison Office's duties and responsibilities, laid down by the State Council, ensure the success of "one country, two systems" and fully abide by the Basic Law.

She said she takes a pragmatic business approach towards the relationship with the Liaison Office.

While she invites Central Government officials to discuss issues with a strong Mainland angle, the Liaison Office is not involved in Hong Kong's internal affairs.

"In this term of the Government I take a slightly more pragmatic approach in my working relationship with the Central People's Government Liaison Office, because if we are to fully or better integrate with national development as laid down by President Xi Jinping in his report to the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, this is all for Hong Kong's better prospects.

"So, in order to better integrate into the national development, we do need a lot more liaison, a lot more understanding, of the national strategies and this is where the role of the Liaison Office, or for that matter, the (Office of the Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs) comes in.

"So, when I said I'd take a more pragmatic business approach towards the relationship with the CPG Liaison Office, it's that I would invite CPG officials to discuss with me whenever there is a Mainland angle.

"I have to stress this time again. It is not the involving the CPG Liaison Office in the internal affairs of Hong Kong where we practise a high degree of autonomy. It is in the issue which has a very strong Mainland angle and perspective, and this sort of liaison will help Hong Kong."