Source:
https://scmp.com/article/272440/justice-chief-not-aiming-change-minds-beijing

Justice chief 'not aiming to change minds in Beijing'

The Secretary for Justice said yesterday she aimed to exchange views rather than alter opinions of mainland authorities on the controversial right of abode ruling.

Elsie Leung Oi-sie met three legal experts for nearly two hours at the start of her two-day visit to the capital to discuss the crisis.

Her visit was triggered after criticism from Beijing that the landmark Court of Final Appeal ruling on right of abode for mainland children was wrong and should be altered.

Mainland legal experts had also described the ruling as a breach of the 'one country, two systems' principle.

Miss Leung described her meeting with legal experts Wu Jianfan, Xiao Weiyun and Xu Chongde as frank and said the atmosphere had been good.

Another expert, Shao Tianren, who also criticised the court ruling, was absent from the meeting at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences' Institute of Law, a central government think-tank.

Miss Leung said she had told them the views of the SAR Government on the content and impact of the ruling.

She said the views of Hong Kong people, including the legal sector, had been reflected but she refused to say if the SAR Government still respected the ruling.

'We have clarified some legal questions. I also explained to them the difference between the two legal systems,' she said. 'My purpose is to seek communication and to have a deeper understanding of the legal experts and the central Government. It's not a matter of persuasion by either side.

'My intention . . . is not to alter the views of anybody.' Miss Leung refused to disclose whether the legal experts had changed their opinions after the discussions.

She will return to Hong Kong this afternoon after more talks today, including discussions with officials from the National People's Congress Standing Committee and the State Council's Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office.