Veteran journalist Chris Yeung told HKAPI members in a public affairs workshop on October 25, 2017 that Hong Kong politics is getting more complicated, as the government and many stakeholders have to take the China factor into consideration when making key decisions. He said Hong Kong people are divided on many issues and the city’s Chief Executive has to negotiate with every political party on a case by case basis. “It’s difficult to get support from lawmakers for implementing even an insignificant minor measure,” he said.

The ever-changing volatile public mood has become an increasingly important factor in the government decision-making process, Yeung added.

The China factor, together with many other considerations, also imposes constraints on Chief Executive Carrie Lam, according to Yeung.

In his view, Carrie Lam would place a lot of emphasis on healthcare issues, as she put more effort into poverty alleviation. Yet Carrie Lam just cares about basic healthcare service rather than the sector’s business aspects, he remarked. Yeung said the city’s leader wants to keep her involvement in politics to a minimum.

Yeung is co-founder and chief writer of Citizen News, founder of Voice of Hong Kong, and a part-time lecturer. He has worked with Hong Kong Economic Journal and was editor-at-large and political editor of SCMP.