The top administrative official in the Hong Kong government attended a symposium in Tokyo on Thursday during her first official visit to Japan, to promote the special Chinese region as a global business hub and a gateway for Japanese firms to advance into mainland China as well as other Asian markets.
Facing Japanese reporters on the sidelines of the event, Carrie Lam, chief executive of the Hong Kong government, sought to brush aside recent concerns over press and speech freedoms in Hong Kong under the growing influence of Beijing.
"We are really seeing very robust rule of law in Hong Kong and the independence of judiciary, as well as freedom and rights enshrined under the Basic Law," Lam told reporters in Tokyo, referring to Hong Kong's constitutional document.