Carrie Lam still Beijing’s favourite, but should not have mentioned resigning, adviser says

Professor Lau Siu-kai, from Chinese Association of Hong Kong and Macau Studies, says chief executive hopeful should not discuss quitting before being elected

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Chief executive candidate Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor has sought to downplay the controversy over her remarks. Photo: K. Y. Cheng

Published: 12:54pm, 17 Mar 2017Updated: 11:26pm, 17 Mar 2017

Beijing was firm on supporting Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor’s bid for Hong Kong’s top job after the annual “two sessions” meetings attended by the top national leadership, a high-level adviser said.

But think tank vice-president Professor Lau Siu-kai was critical of the “resign” pledge made by the former chief secretary during a televised debate, saying it was improper for politicians to openly talk about stepping down before even winning the election.

As the race enters its final stretch, all eyes are on whether any of the 570-plus Beijing loyalists who nominated Lam will turn away to back former financial secretary John Tsang Chun-wah during the secret ballot.

Professor Lau Siu-kai said he believed Carrie Lam would win the election in one round. Photo: Simon Song

Speaking on Commercial Radio on Friday, Lau, of the Chinese Association of Hong Kong and Macau Studies, agreed there was a chance this would happen on March 26, but insisted that Lam remained Beijing’s preferred candidate.

“The general trend remains unchanged, that the central authorities continued to support Lam during the ‘two sessions’,” Lau said, referring to the National People’s Congress and Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference meetings that ended this week.