The government is studying ways to stop the spread of fake news and disinformation online by using overseas experience as a reference point, Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor said.

In her opening speech at the Forum on Network Media of China, Lam said the government has to appropriately supervise and manage the media, as "prevention is better than cure."

"We have to prevent the media and the internet from being manipulated to achieve political goals," Lam said.

She added that existing legislation may not be effective in dealing with misconduct on the internet, including hate speech and discriminatory remarks, "therefore the government is proactively taking reference from the experience of other countries and regions in order to hammer out the best solution for regulating the spread of fake news."

Lam also said the security law implemented last year has required the SAR government to step up promotion, supervision and management of the media and internet as they could affect national security.

"The SAR government will keep an eye on messages circulated online and will rectify and clarify misinformation," she said.

This is the second time Lam has spoken on fake news in a week, as she told a forum on November 18 that the media should be self-conscious in safeguarding national security, while a credible newspaper would go a step further by proactively clarifying misinformation.

Separately, Lam will be visiting Wuhan in Hubei Province from November 28 to December 1 to attend a Hong Kong-Hubei Cooperation Conference and to meet with leaders of Hubei province and Wuhan.

Lam will be accompanied by Chief Secretary John Lee Ka-chiu, Secretary for Innovation and Technology Alfred Sit Wing-hang, Secretary for Home Affairs Caspar Tsui Ying-wai and Under Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Clement Woo Kin-man.

Officials look overseas to stop spread of fake news