All sides of the political divide must adhere to the law to move forward

On Sunday, President Xi Jinping and Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying met for the first time since the Occupy Central protests began some six weeks ago. The message from the meeting is clear. Beijing continues to support the city's leader and his governance according to the law. During a brief photo session for the media, Xi did not follow his predecessors in heaping praise on the chief executive. But a Xinhua report said the central government fully supported Leung and his administration. A source close to the Hong Kong government also said Xi cited a Chinese poem at the closed-door meeting to show his appreciation of Leung's loyalty and resilience during testing times. Separately, China yesterday announced that the scheme linking the stock markets in Shanghai and Hong Kong would be launched next week, a day after Leung raised the issue during the meeting. The green light is seen as yet another move to back the city's leader.

The endorsement for Leung is to be expected. It came at a time when the city is threatened by the gravest political challenge since the handover. It is imperative for Beijing to be seen as firmly behind the embattled chief executive. It also gives the clearest signal that Beijing will strictly adhere to the rule of law on the issue of political reform. Although Xi did not comment directly on the protests, he stressed the importance of the rule of law, the centerpiece in the latest Communist Party policy blueprint. He also reiterated the need for Hong Kong to "fully and accurately" understand the Basic Law, sparking concerns that it may impose tougher policies on the city.

The central government says it will resolutely support the Hong Kong government's efforts to safeguard the rule of law. Regrettably, the protesters' actions are not in line with that. They block the streets and defy court orders; they challenge the electoral framework decided by the highest state authority and insist on public nomination - a concept outside the Basic Law. The struggle is spilling over to the mainland, with some protest leaders trying to gatecrash Beijing after former chief executive Tung Chee-hwa turned down their request to arrange a meeting with state officials. The confrontational tactics will not end the impasse. It is clear Beijing will only allow Hong Kong to implement political reform according to its framework. The longer the protests drag on, the less likely democracy can be achieved. Adhering to the law is the only way forward.