Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Chief Executive Donald Tsang said Wednesday in a statement that his government fully respected judicial independence and was fully confident in the court's impartiality, independence and professionalism in exercising its judicial power.

In a statement issued by the Chief Executive's Office, Tsang said he had repeatedly stated that the government fully respected judicial independence and people's rights to seek judicial review during the May 19 Legislative Council question-and- answer session.

The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government had been handling the challenges of judicial reviews in full accordance with the law, Tsang said in the statement.

The statement also said Tsang's remarks carried no criticism whatsoever of the court. On the contrary, he was fully confident in the court's impartiality, independence and professionalism in exercising its judicial power.

Tsang deeply regretted that certain lawmakers had deliberately distorted what he had said as an exertion of pressure on the court.

He also said he would not comment on individual cases. His key message on that occasion was that he hoped citizens, especially responsible politicians, would reflect on the concern, shared by some members of the public, on the adverse impact of the delay in infrastructure projects for political reasons on Hong Kong's economic development and long-term competitiveness.

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