With less than two weeks to go before the chief executive election in Hong Kong, the three candidates made their pitches at the first televised debate of the campaign on Tuesday evening.
Carrie Lam said: "'We Connect', this is my campaign slogan. I invite everyone in society to connect with me to make efforts to push forward the economy and people's lives."
John Tsang said: "I think the next government should do more to enhance people's lives, housing and education."
The third candidate, retired judge Woo Kwok-hing, who was the first to announce a run for the position, is lagging behind Tsang and Lam.
The central government will be watching closely from Beijing and, during the Two Sessions, it reiterated its four criteria for the next chief executive: love the country, love Hong Kong, trust in Beijing, and have an ability to govern and support Hong Kong citizens.
Analysts say the chief executive is accountable to both the Special Administrative Region (SAR) and the central government. With just days to go, the election committee members will now be scrutinizing the candidates' comments and judiciously analyzing their manifestos.
