Policy address the time for Leung Chun-ying to stand and deliver
Chief executive has strong support of nation's leaders but must show he can solve the city's problems and regain the people's trust
Leung Chun-ying won't have much time to relax following his trip to Beijing before putting the finishing touches to the policy address he will deliver in 24 days' time.
The chief executive will do so confident in the knowledge that he has the strong support of the nation's leaders but aware that it won't do much to make his job easier. A week before giving his policy address, Leung faces an unprecedented move in the legislature to impeach him.
Leung knows it is time for him to show, through the policy address, that he can solve the city's problems and regain the trust of the public, which has been dented by a series of controversies.
Beijing's support for Leung was threefold.
First, Communist Party general secretary Xi Jinping told Leung his administration was "progressive, striving, pragmatic and promising".
In a break with past practice, by which a visiting Hong Kong chief executive would first meet the president or premier, Leung's first meeting was with Xi, who will become the country's leader in March. They met in the company of the officials in charge of Hong Kong affairs and their expected successors.
Then, on Friday, both President Hu Jintao and Premier Wen Jiabao expressed full confidence in Hong Kong's future and endorsed the work of Leung's administration.