bodyType

customContents

entityId

entityUuid

articlePageQuery

filter

article

articleBaseAdvertisingInfoArticle

articleListArticle

articleSeoArticle

helpersCheckIsPostiesArticle

hooksArticleAcknowledgementGateOverlayArticle

hooksTrackPageViewArticle

hooksContentInterestArticle

articleLinkingDataContent

hooksAmpRedirectArticle

articleSchemaContent

liveArticle

advertZone

sentiment

contentLock

topics

types

sections

moreOnThisArticles

urlAlias

commentCount

authorLocations

authors

paywallTypes

corrections

sponsorType

displaySlideShow

multimediaEmbed

printHeadline

seriesContainer

socialHeadline

headline

flag

firstTopic

glossary

flattenTypeIds

publishedDate

additionalInfoBoxes

images

image

relatedLinks

relatedNewsletters

__typename

createdDate

sponsor

pdfFiles

seriesReverseOrder

series

disableOffPlatformContent

published

updatedDate

summary

subHeadline

body

keywords

readingTime

customTimezone

liveContents

Chris Yeung

Donald Tsang Yam-kuen's question-time session in the Legislative Council yesterday - probably his last before the chief executive election - has, in every sense, set the scene for the contest.

It was fitting, then, that the last question went to Civic Party legislator Alan Leong Kah-kit, who looks certain to gain the 100 nominations required to contest the March 25 election.

There could not have been a better ending to the session and the beginning of the electoral  battle.

The election will feature Mr Leong-the-legislator, instead of being the  interrogator, fielding questions from Mr Tsang-the-candidate on the challenges facing Hong Kong when the campaign period begins  at the end of  February.

Battle has already begun in earnest, with Mr Tsang taking a  swipe at Mr Leong when he explained why he had not formally declared  his re-election plans in his opening remarks.

In a veiled attack on Mr Leong's policy platform, he said a responsible candidate should not 'promote any ideas that have not been well conceived'.

'Turning visions into reality entails the ability to plan, to co-ordinate and to execute,' he said. 'I hope that my policy objectives for the next five years will not remain impractical visions ... They must be realistic rather than simply  idealistic.'

In keeping with his professed pragmatic stance on politics,  Mr Tsang has given a broad hint that a balance between idealism and reality will remain the central theme of his forthcoming election campaign and his expected next five years of leadership.

Stopping short of declaring his candidacy, he said: 'I hope I can live up to my words ... I am preparing to be a responsible candidate.'

That he has moved a big step closer to declaring he is running  reflects a growing sense of anxiety about  his standing in the  polls and the fact that Mr Leong launched a combative campaign in  November.

For instance, Mr Leong has taken advantage of the growing concern over heritage protection, triggered by the Star Ferry  protests, to attack what he calls Mr Tsang's paternalistic rule and short-sightedness. Mr Tsang, however, has sought to paint Mr Leong and his allies as idealists with little experience of turning policies into reality.

It is  hardly surprising that Mr Tsang, following his duty visit to Beijing, began the Legco session with the message that a range of pressing economic and livelihood issues, such as banking services and food safety, were making good progress.

By doing so, he is eager to polish his performance as he braces for the face-off with Mr Leong over vision and reality.



Hong Kong officials’ rising pay doesn’t square with our financial winter

Synagistics set for Hong Kong listing through merger with SPAC backed by former HKMA head

Spending by former Hong Kong leaders begs scrutiny

Annual operating costs for offices of ex-Hong Kong leaders reach HK$21 million, with Carrie Lam’s workplace accounting for 44%

Donald Tsang

Vision and reality: an early glimpse of the contest to come