Lam made good on her earlier promise in her policy address and delivered a 50-minute lecture to more than 1,000 citizenship and social development teachers, where she said the current restriction is long enough, but added that Hong Kong leaders can still propose long-term development projects that last decades.

“I have proposed a forward-looking northern metropolis development plan while there are only nine months left for my term,” Lam said, adding that the next CE can also implement the plan as long as it is supported by society.

“There is a strong continuity in the SAR government’s policies because we are not a government with transition of power among different parties,” she said.

Lam also said being the Chief Executive of Hong Kong is bittersweet.

“It seems my term as the CE was extremely bitter. I was worried during the rioting in 2019 and did not know what would happen. I was also very anxious during that period as I worried there might be casualties,” Lam said.

She also said many people from the pro-democracy camp share the view that the central government owes Hongkongers on a system in which CE is elected by universal suffrage. But such a concept is wrong, she said.

According to the Basic Law, a CE should be selected by election or through consultations, Lam said.

“Before the handover in 1997, the leader of Hong Kong was the governor of Hong Kong appointed by the British government. Did we have an election or consultations? Did the British ask Hongkongers who they prefer to become the governor of Hong Kong? No.” she said.

Lam also said allowing citizens to nominate CE candidates violates the Basic Law and is unacceptable because the role of CE is too important.