China ‘a pair of steady hands’ amid uncertainty, Hong Kong’s CY Leung says

China is committed to upholding fairness and stability amid global uncertainty, former Hong Kong leader Leung Chun-ying has said, adding that continued cooperation between Beijing and Southeast Asia will bring mutual benefits.Leung, vice-chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, the country’s top political advisory body, noted on Tuesday that China opposed unilateralism and protectionism, defended the multilateral trading system, and remained committed to strengthening the authority of the United Nations despite aberrations.“China steadfastly adheres to its position of safeguarding international fairness and justice and to its commitment to building a community with a shared future for humanity,” he said during his keynote address at the China-morning-post" class="entity-link entity-organization" data-entity-id="12558" data-entity-type="organization">South China Morning Post’s China Conference: Southeast Asia 2026, held in Jakarta.“It continues to be a source of economic growth, a pair of steady hands and much-needed certainty in this period of unpredictability and volatility. Global solidarity is the only right choice.”He said that although Southeast Asia was a diverse region, it shared common values of humanity that China and Hong Kong championed and had proven its resilience amid the turbulence of the past year.“Having withstood the trials and tribulations of last year, we can be confident that cooperation between China and Southeast Asian countries will continue to broaden and strengthen to the benefit of our peoples,” he said.