Chief Executive Carrie Lam delivered her first Policy Address yesterday.　　Entitled We Connect for Hope and Happiness, it is 49,000-character long.　　The Chief Executive delivered a brief speech on the Policy Address instead of reading out the entire document like her predecessors did.

　　Prior to the delivery of this Policy Address, a storm was brewing in Hong Kong society: there was incessant political antagonism to divide society and make it difficult for the government to take a step forward in its administration.　　Citizens yearned from the bottom of their hearts for an early end to such a chaotic situation so that social stability could be restored and they could enjoy ease of mind and the government could function well and the people live in harmony.　　Carrie Lam, having taken her office for only some 110 days, does not let people down.　　Her first Policy Address as delivered yesterday not only has concrete measures and clear ideals but also gives all Hong Kong citizens a most beautiful vision: the government will work for citizens whole-heartedly to bring an environment for them to live and work in peace and happiness; middle-income citizens who do not own their housing will be able to afford buying their homes; young people will have much more opportunities for education and career pursuit, to start up their own businesses, to participation in politics and public policy discussion and join the government; elderly and disadvantaged people will be better taken care of; economic development will be more diversified with financial industry striving to become the financing leader of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and innovation and technology becoming the new "favourite" of government's allocated investment; taxation reform will be in favour of small-and medium-enterprises; the 180,000 civil servants for the first time will have their own training institution-the　　civil service college; there will also be a subsidy up to $300 a month for long-distance public transport expenses...　　Citizens in any social stratum, industry and sector can all benefit from, be inspired by and see hope from Carrie Lam's first Policy.　　Hong Kong once again will resume its original role as an economic city and a livable city.　　The SAR Government now completely stands on the same side of and truly thinks in the same way as the vast majority of citizens.　　"We connect for hope and happiness" and for Hong Kong's construction.

　　Policy Address is the Chief Executive's "personification".　　Needless to say, as the government's planning and points of focus in administration for the whole year, a Policy Address cannot possibly be worked out by the Chief Executive alone behind closed doors.　　Instead, it is the fruit of painstaking labour to drawn on opinions from all policy bureaux, executive departments and social personages.　　Right on the start of her office, Carrie Lam already began consultations on her first Policy Address, including asking various departments to send in their proposals and meeting up with personages from various sectors including opposition lawmakers to listen to their opinions.　　

　　It is also true to say that a Policy Address is the Chief Executive's "personification" because it is a comprehensive embodiment of the Chief Executive's personal political wisdom, governance ideas, capability and experience.　　As a matter of fact, although Carrie Lam's first Policy Address as unveiled yesterday is a "collective creation", the one-hour-long brief speech she delivered at the Legislative Council (Legco) was written by herself personally word by word, from which much of her personal style and charisma could be clearly seen.　　Carrie Lam's first Policy Address fully shows her advantage of being familiar with the government's governance and operation.　　However, if it is just limited to this, then it at best could be said a good work planning rather than a Policy Address of the Chief Executive that can correct the course, point out the way forward and play a leading role for whole society.　　It is heartening to see that Carrie Lam's first Policy Address not only comprehensively covers all sorts of issues concerning the economy, people's livelihood and development, but more importantly in it she does not dodge sensitive political issues but clearly explains her own attitude and stand and the government's. (To be continued)

　　12 October 2017