Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang has stressed that the executive-led political system in Hong Kong is “not a matter that concerns only the chief executive” and that truly implementing the governing principle is not an easy task.

The senior Beijing official also told Hong Kong and Macao members of the nation’s top political advisory body on Friday that executive-led governance required strong understanding from SAR officials of their leadership roles in the territories.

The remarks came in a meeting between Ding, a Politburo Standing Committee member, and the delegates of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) during the ongoing “Two Sessions” in Beijing.

“The actual implementation of the [executive-led system] is not an easy task," he said.

"It requires the chief executive and the government to strengthen their sense that they lead the SAR.

"It also requires co-operation and support from all aspects of society, including the legislative and judicial organs.

“The executive-led system is not a matter that concerns only the chief executive, it is also the collective responsibility of the Hong Kong and Macao governments, members of the public and all sectors of society.”

The director of the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office, Xia Baolong, and CPPCC vice-chairman and former SAR chief executive Leung Chun-ying were among those present at the meeting.


Edited by Tony Sabine