Quotes from Carrie Lam

It's impossible for the government to curb property prices.

I am confident the SCMP and Hong Kong will continue to grow and prosper, hand in hand, in this 21st century of opportunity.

If the chief executive cannot have a party background, how can she ensure her team is wholeheartedly united?

I firmly believe that the wider community supports achieving the goal of universal suffrage for 2017 according to law. I also believe most political parties do not want to see a failure to attain the goal.

The important thing for the government to do is to help people who cannot help themselves by providing a range of support.

Hong Kong needs population growth to cope with a rapidly ageing population.

Laws, especially those of a constitutional nature like the Basic Law, which have been formulated through reasonable legislative processes, should never be freely interpreted or lightly abandoned.

Any proposal that would usurp or water down the rights of the nominating committee would not be able to receive political support.

A well-educated, hard-working, flexible, and enterprising workforce has always been one of Hong Kong's greatest strengths.

In my opinion, serving the common good is the true purpose of politics and is also the perspective through which our community should consider constitutional reform.

I am very careful about my health... For example, I have body check-ups regularly and take some medicines to control my blood pressure, because I have a little bit high blood pressure.

Most elderly are retirees with relatively low incomes. But some may possess assets, and they will be classified as poor. As such, the elderly poverty rate could be overstated.

Given the relativity concept, poverty cannot be eliminated. Indeed, an economic upturn with a broad improvement in household income does not guarantee a decrease in the size of the poor population, especially when the income growth of households below the poverty line is less promising than the overall.

I have hobbies.

You have to understand that under One Country, Two Systems, we are a separate customs authority in the same way we are a separate member of the World Trade Organization.

There should be no doubt about my commitment to responding to questions from reporters in the same language that the question is asked.

We should widen our economic base and encourage businesses to move up the value chain and increase job diversity.

We are not trained to please everybody.

As a chief executive determined to lead Hong Kong to new heights, I am keenly aware of the immense responsibilities on my shoulders.

I am the first female chief executive of Hong Kong.

When Hong Kong was under British administration, governors were dispatched from London to govern this city. We had no say in the matter.

Our common goal is to keep Hong Kong from chaos, severe polarisation, and violence.

We want Hong Kong to do well.

Hong Kong is not an independent entity... and cannot decide, on its own, its political development.