Vice-Premier stresses firm support for HK govt

Vice-Premier Han Zheng pledged on Wednesday that the central government will unswervingly support the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government and its police force to end violence and restore law and order in the city.

Han also voiced the central government's high degree of trust in Lam, and appreciation and confidence for the SAR government and the police in dealing with, what he described, the "most serious situation" since the city's return to the motherland.

Han made the remarks when meeting the SAR's Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor in Beijing on Wednesday Morning. This is the first time Han met with Lam since the ongoing unrest broke out in Hong Kong in June.

The meeting followed President Xi Jinping's meeting with Lam in Shanghai on Monday, in which Xi affirmed Lam's work in dealing with the unrest.

Han noted that the ongoing violence, which has trampled the law and challenged the bottom line of morality, dealt a severe blow to the "one country, two systems" principle and Hong Kong's long-term prosperity and stability.

It also undermined the overall benefit of Hong Kong people, he added.

Facing the ongoing mayhem, ending violence and restoring order remains the priority of Hong Kong and is a shared responsibility of administrative, legislative, and judicial bodies, Han said.

He also hoped that the Hong Kong community can reach a consensus in containing violence, and put concerted efforts to safeguard the rule of law and social stability.

Responding to Han's remarks, Lam pledged that the SAR government will firmly uphold the "one country, two systems" principle and rule of law in stopping the violence.

To restore the society's law and order remains the SAR government's fundamental work, Lam stressed, so as to provide a peaceful environment for each industry to resume development, and improve residents' livelihood.

Also attending the meeting were State Council Executive Deputy Secretary-General Ding Xuedong, Director of the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council Zhang Xiaoming, Director of the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the HKSAR Wang Zhimin, and HKSAR's Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Patrick Nip Tak-kuen.