Beijing rejects Hong Kong leader’s plan to strengthen anti-corruption laws that would target gifts for the chief executive
- Central government will not accept enacting legislation in Hong Kong to extend anti-bribery law to govern the chief executive, whom Beijing appoints
- Hong Kong government says the plan is not dead and is trying to find a workaround
China’s central government has rejected a plan by Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor to tighten the city’s anti-corruption laws and ensure that all gifts and benefits offered to the chief executive are graft-free.
Beijing found the idea of amending the existing law for this reason unacceptable, a source familiar with the central government’s thinking on the matter told the Post.
“Beijing’s position is that the chief executive is appointed by the central government,” the source said. “It can’t accept the move to enact local legislation to establish a committee to grant approval for the acceptance of advantages by the chief executive.”
Beijing was also worried that the city’s top official could become susceptible to politically motivated accusations of flouting the anti-graft law, the source added.
Lam promised Hongkongers before being elected in 2017 that she would strengthen corruption laws to combat possible graft by a chief executive.