"A small minority of people do not mind destroying Hong Kong's economy. They have no stake in the society which so many people have helped to build and that's why they resort to all this violence and obstruction, causing huge damage to the economy and to the daily life of the people."

“I would have this to say – that our primary responsibility is to find the right opportunity and create the necessary conditions for us to put into effect the local legislation, before we need a committee to ensure the legislation is being effectively enforced.”

“Nothing is more important than the rule of law in Hong Kong.”

“Some people have told me that the last of the eight fits me very much: It says, 'Blessed are they that suffer persecution for justice's sake,' because there is a place reserved for me in heaven. In fact, nowadays, as you work in the government, you are often criticised for doing what is just.”

“「Collapse of education, is collapse of nation 教育的崩潰，足以摧毁一個國家」”

“I don’t want to spend your time, or waste your time, for you to ask me what went wrong, and why it went wrong. But for a Chief Executive to have caused this huge havoc to Hong Kong is unforgivable. It’s just unforgivable. If I have a choice, the first thing is to quit, having made a deep apology, is to step down. So I make a plea to you for your forgiveness.”

““You just imagine the pressure that public servant is put under, with all those institutions, checks and balances, all that Ombudsman, ICAC. Not that they are bad, but as I said, sometimes these things are good. These are the safeguards of any civil societies. But if they become a major hurdle, because we don't know how to deal with them, then, at the end of the day, what would suffer will be the government executive ability to deliver things.”