Top Beijing official on Hong Kong affairs insists it is reasonable to be concerned about leadership election

But Wang Guangya did not say whether Beijing backed Carrie Lam, despite reports that former chief secretary is its favoured candidate

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Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office Director Wang Guangya defends Beijing’s involvement in the chief executive race. Photo: Dickson Lee

Published: 7:00pm, 8 Mar 2017Updated: 10:04pm, 8 Mar 2017

Beijing’s top bureaucrat on Hong Kong affairs has called it “reasonable and indisputable” for the central government to “be concerned” about the city’s upcoming leadership race, in the clearest response yet to accusations that mainland officials were shoring up support for Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor.

But Wang Guangya, head of the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office under the State Council, did not say whether Beijing supported the former Hong Kong No 2.

Wang is the first mainland official to speak in detail to the Hong Kong media on the March 26 chief executive election during the National People’s Congress session in Beijing.

Pan-democrat critics say Beijing has practically anointed Lam, who has bagged nearly half of all available Election Committee nominations solely from pro-administration supporters. They say this constitutes interference in Hong Kong politics.

“The chief executive election is a matter of the central government,” Wang said.“It is reasonable and without dispute for the central government to be concerned, which is its duty.”

Wang also repeated the criteria for the next chief executive – loving the country and Hong Kong, trust from Beijing, an ability to govern and support from Hongkongers. “The standards were not laid down today,” he said.