Next Hong Kong leader should reach out in substance to public, Britain’s top diplomat says
Andrew Heyn also says universal suffrage will be important in upholding the core principle governing China’s relations with the city
Britain’s top diplomat in Hong Kong has called on the city’s next leader to “reach out in substance” to the public amid worsening polarisation. He made the comments just 10 days before the election of a new chief executive in the former British colony.
In an interview with a small group of journalists, including the Post, British Consul General Andrew Heyn said universal suffrage would be important in upholding the core principle governing China’s relations with the city.
“A greater degree of universal suffrage within the framework of the Basic Law would help to support ‘one country, two systems’,” he said.
“Where you have seen successful presidents, chief executives [or] prime ministers, what they have done is to reach out not only in rhetoric, but also reach out in substance to people with different views,” Heyn said.