[Explanation] The Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Carrie Lam announced in Hong Kong on October 12 that the reading of the Policy Address will be postponed, but the work of the Legislative Council from 2020 to 2021 will not be affected.
She said that the Chief Executive's presentation of the annual policy address at the first meeting of the new session of the Legislative Council is just a usual practice, not static and there is no legal problem.
[Commentary] Carrie Lam said that Hong Kong is experiencing social turmoil and the epidemic. The public is looking forward to getting out of economic difficulties. However, the peripheral economy is unstable and the chance of recovery in the short term is low. In contrast, the mainland economy has rebounded under the strict control of the epidemic. Hong Kong's economy is about to recover. Without the support of the central government and integrating into the overall situation of national development, a series of measures have been sorted out earlier for the central government to consider.
She has just received the notice, so she will go to Beijing in late October to participate in the coordination meeting of the ministries and commissions to conduct research on individual projects before making a final decision.
[Concurrent] Carrie Lam, Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
I just received a notice from the central government. Because the scope is very wide, it is not a single ministry that can decide. I hope I will depart for Beijing this month, probably in late October. I will depart for Beijing after the 20th of this month to participate in the coordination meeting of ministries and commissions.
The publication of this year’s "Policy Address", if it can include the central government's support for the development of Hong Kong, will be very helpful for Hong Kong citizens to restore confidence in the (Hong Kong) economy and to inject new impetus into business activities.
Therefore, considering these reasons, I decided to postpone the publication of this year’s Policy Address a little bit. This decision is entirely for the public interest of Hong Kong, and I also think it is appropriate.
[Commentary] Carrie Lam said that a series of policies in the "policy address" cover the financial, innovation and technology, aviation and other aspects of the Greater Bay Area. The timing of their publication is still uncertain, but she will strive to publish it by the end of November.
In addition, Carrie Lam will be invited to attend the 40th anniversary celebration of the establishment of the Shenzhen Special Economic Zone.
[Concurrent] Carrie Lam, Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
The annual "Policy Address" of the Chief Executive is an internal matter of the SAR government, but of course it is especially now that we want to improve the practice of "one country, two systems" in Hong Kong and the economic aspect, hoping to better integrate into the overall development of the country. There is work in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, so in the process of preparing the Policy Address, a certain amount of consultation is indispensable.
Reporter Zheng Haoxi and Zhang Hongwei reporting from Hong Kong
Editor in charge: [Liu Xian]