It is "perfectly justifiable" for the central government to be concerned with the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region's Chief Executive election, said Zhang Xiaoming, director of the Liaison Office of the Central  Government in the HKSAR, during a forum on Tuesday.

Article 43 of the Hong Kong Basic Law states, “The Chief Executive of the HKSAR shall be accountable to the Central People’s Government and the HKSAR in accordance with the provisions of this law.”

Zhang said that it is reasonable for the central government to be in contact with the candidates, and to exchange views with Hong Kong people from all walks of life on the vote.

The 2017 Hong Kong Chief Executive election is due to take place on March 26, when the SAR's fourth chief executive will be nominated, as Leung Chun-ying's term comes to an end.