Tung Chee-hwa wants to convince people that President Hu Jintao's remarks to him on Monday were not a rebuke. He has taken on a tough task.
Mr Tung sought to put a brave face on the meeting in Macau, emphasising the positive parts of Mr Hu's address. He pointed out that Mr Hu had made similar comments before. And the president has also suggested improvements to be made in Macau. But the three-minute meeting has to be seen in context. When viewed in light of recent events in Hong Kong, it can only be interpreted as a sharp rap on the knuckles for Mr Tung and his team.
The chief executive should have feared the worst. This formal get-together with the boss could hardly have come at a worse time. The much-vaunted Link Reit had been scrapped in embarrassing circumstances the previous night.
This came swiftly after the row over plans by developers - abandoned in the face of strong public opposition - to demolish the Hunghom Peninsula estate.
Then there is the continuing controversy over the arrangements for developing a vast cultural hub in West Kowloon.
With this background in mind, it is very difficult for Mr Tung to make a case that Mr Hu's comments were merely a routine piece of friendly advice delivered in a general context. They were far more pointed than that.
Just look at what the president said. Mr Hu called on the government to 'earnestly review' the seven years since the handover, to identify inadequacies and to strive to raise the standards of governance. The message was clear: Take a good look at yourselves and work out how you can do better.