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Leung Chun-ying (CY Leung)
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James Tien (right) accused Leung (left) of not truly adopting the “appropriately proactive” approach the leader has stressed. Photos: Nora Tam, Felix Wong

Former Liberal Party chairman accuses CY Leung of only pursuing issues that suit Hong Kong leader’s interests

Former Liberal Party chairman James Tien Pei-chun waded into a row between his successor and Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying – accusing Hong Kong’s leader of being overly proactive on issues that suit his interests while ignoring those that do not.

Lai Ying-kit

Former Liberal Party chairman James Tien Pei-chun yesterday waded into a row between his successor and Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying – accusing Hong Kong’s leader of being overly proactive on issues that suit his interests while ignoring those that do not.

A war of words erupted earlier this week when Liberal Party chairman Felix Chung Kwok-pan criticised Leung’s view that the city’s “positive non-intervention” economic policy should be scrapped.

Speaking on a Commercial Radio programme yesterday, Tien accused Leung of not truly adopting the “appropriately proactive” approach that the leader had advocated.

He said Leung had not actively pursued some important issues, including a criminal investigation into his staunch supporter Barry Cheung Chun-yuen over the collapse of the Hong Kong Mercantile Exchange, which has yielded nothing since it began in 2013.

Tien argued that the case should not be taking such a long time and suggested Leung had refused to move on it.

“So why has there not been anything? We suspect [Leung] decided not to take any action because of the probe’s results,” he said.

Chung’s criticism came after the chief executive called for the city to reverse its hands-off economic policy.

“Hong Kong would no longer be Hong Kong if the intervention is severe,” the chairman of the pro-business party said.

Rebutting Chung’s criticism, Leung then wrote in an article published by Chinese-language newspapers early this week that his “appropriately proactive” approach had helped Hongkongers and the economy through some of the difficulties they faced in recent years.

Tien said he was surprised that Leung raised the issue in the article because the chief executive had just met Chung and other Liberal Party members days before. He said the atmosphere at the meeting had been friendly and Leung’s governance philosophy had not been discussed.

Tien urged the chief executive to be more proactive in improving relations with pan-democrats.

“If he could meet pan-democrats more and win them over, then they will stop their non-cooperative campaigns and filibusters,” he said.

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