Lam says central govt firmly supports the HKSAR

Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor said on Friday her Beijing trip bore fruit as central government officials voiced support for the city's coronavirus controls and economic recovery.

In a media briefing, Lam said her discussions focused mainly on containing the pandemic, reviving the economy and addressing social issues. The central government welcomed her proposals, she said.

Officials also expressed support for Hong Kong's competitiveness and integration into the nation's overall development, as well as tech innovation in the Asian financial hub, Lam said, adding that she could not disclose substantial details of her meetings.

During her three-day Beijing visit, Lam and five principal Hong Kong officials who joined her on the trip met with officials at the Ministry of Commerce, Ministry of Science and Technology, the Civil Aviation Administration of China, the China Securities Regulatory Commission, the National Health Commission, and the National Development and Reform Commission.

David Wong Yau-kar, a businessman and Hong Kong deputy to the National People's Congress of the People's Republic of China, the nation's top legislature, said he believes that the main areas of future collaboration between the mainland and Hong Kong will be financial services and technology, as reflected in the chief executive's schedule.

With the support of the central government, he said, the two places can work together to remove obstacles and facilitate the flow of capital and personnel. Cooperation and development in various fields will naturally surge, said Wong.

Apart from receiving support from the central government, Wong noted, Hong Kong should be more proactive in tackling local problems, such as effectively containing the pandemic in the city and solving the local housing issues, so as to lay a solid foundation for these planning developments.

Law Cheung-Kwok, a senior adviser at the Aviation Policy and Research Centre at The Chinese University of Hong Kong, said that Hong Kong needs immediate support from the CAAC leadership as the global aviation industry was hard hit by the pandemic.

If Hong Kong and the mainland can resume personnel exchanges, it will greatly improve the businesses of the city's aviation industry and help maintain its strength, said Law. He said there is a huge demand for travel, family visits, business or academic trips among people of the two places.

In the long run, Hong Kong needs support from the central government to consolidate its leading role in aviation in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, where five airports are located, and to expand the flows of intermodal cargo and passengers in the region, Law added.

Lam was scheduled to travel to Guangzhou from Beijing on Friday, and stop at Shenzhen on Saturday, before returning to Hong Kong and working on her 2020 Policy Address, which she said would explain more details to the Hong Kong community.