The Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor has thrown her weight behind Commerce Secretary Edward Yau's claim that RTHK has breached the 'One China' policy and warned that being a public broadcaster is not an immunity against such things, RTHK reports.

Yau set off a major controversy on Thursday saying that an episode of the program "The Pulse" breached the One China principle. But RTHK has rejected this charge, pointing out that Taiwan was not referred to as a country in the programme on the coronavirus outbreak.

“Let me make this very clear: either as a public broadcaster or a government department, RTHK has to fulfil the very important and fundamental principle of upholding One Country, Two Systems," the Chief Executive said as she met the media before the weekly Executive Council meeting.

"RTHK could not claim immunity by being a public broadcaster and not observe this very important principle of One Country, Two Systems," she said.

"As a public broadcaster, in the charter for RTHK, there are very clear requirements of this public broadcaster role in deepening the Hong Kong people’s understanding of One Country, Two Systems," Lam said. "So these are the clear parameters regulating the operation of RTHK.”

Yau and RTHK's director of broadcasting are expected to attend a special finance committee meeting at Legco later in the day. Lam said the secretary will explain more about the issue then.

The program in question featured an interview with the WHO's assistant director-general Bruce Aylward. The exchange went viral after Aylward appeared to pretend not to hear a question regarding Taiwan and then apparently ended the video call.

