Where to draw line of communication

The date March 25 may not ring any bells, but it was a special day for Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying. On that date a year ago, he was elected to the highest job in town. But Leung is less likely to be celebrating than pondering how to handle the increasing number of hot potatoes falling into his lap.

Just a day ahead of his first anniversary, Beijing's senior officials in charge of Hong Kong affairs arrived in neighbouring Shenzhen for a meeting with pro-establishment Hong Kong lawmakers.

There, Qiao Xiaoyang announced Beijing's bottom line for the 2017 chief executive election, saying that whoever "confronts" the central government could not be eligible for the job. The remark started a huge fuss at a time when Leung is being urged to launch a public consultation on electoral reform.

Another interesting episode also occurred in Shenzhen. Director of the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office Wang Guangya told attendants he had difficulty securing baby formula for his four-month-old grandchild after the two-tin export limit was introduced in Hong Kong.

Even more interesting was that Wang's revelation that Leung had called to inform him a day ahead that Hong Kong was to implement a special buyers' stamp duty on non-residents.

It is a measure apparently aimed at deterring wealthy mainland property buyers from flocking to town. This surge in buyers has been cited as a major factor in pushing up local property prices.

Wang's seemingly casual remark about getting milk powder for his grandson might not be that casual, especially considering the background that Hong Kong did not - or forgot to - inform Beijing about the milk powder ban.