bodyType

customContents

entityId

entityUuid

articlePageQuery

filter

article

articleBaseAdvertisingInfoArticle

articleListArticle

articleSeoArticle

hooksArticleAcknowledgementGateOverlayArticle

hooksTrackPageViewArticle

hooksContentInterestArticle

articleLinkingDataContent

hooksAmpRedirectArticle

articleSchemaContent

liveArticle

advertZone

sentiment

contentLock

topics

types

sections

paywallTypes

createdDate

publishedDate

sponsorType

urlAlias

moreOnThisArticles

commentCount

authorLocations

authors

corrections

displaySlideShow

multimediaEmbed

printHeadline

seriesContainer

articleSpeeches

socialHeadline

headline

images

flag

firstTopic

glossary

flattenTypeIds

image

relatedLinks

relatedNewsletters

__typename

sponsor

pdfFiles

seriesReverseOrder

series

disableOffPlatformContent

published

updatedDate

summary

subHeadline

body

keywords

readingTime

customTimezone

liveContents

Gary Cheung

NPC chief Wu Bangguo leads his team in talks to stress importance the central government places on city's affairs

The central government sent 12 top officials - led by National People's Congress chairman Wu Bangguo - to a meeting of Hong Kong's delegates yesterday in an effort to show it places great importance on the city's affairs.

Mr Wu, who is ranked second in the Communist Party's Politburo, attended the meeting with fellow Politburo member and NPC vice-chairman Wang Zhaoguo, NPC vice-chairman and secretary-general Sheng Huaren and State Councillor Tang Jiaxuan.

Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office director Liao Hui, Minister of Commerce Bo Xilai and his deputy, An Min, also joined the delegates for a panel discussion.

The attendance by an unusually large team of senior officials was seen as underscoring the central government's concern with the situation in Hong Kong.

Fei Fih, a Hong Kong deputy to the NPC, quoted Mr Wu as saying that he had never led such a big team to panel meetings of other delegations.

During the meeting, many delegates asked about the progress of implementation of the Closer Economic Partnership Arrangement.

Mr An  said the central government had already quickened its work on Cepa-related issues.

He also asked Hong Kong's professionals to be more patient about the opening of the mainland market.

'We have, for example, allowed Hong Kong accountants to work in the mainland. For lawyers, we have different systems and legislation. We need to co-ordinate and discuss this further,' the vice-minister of commerce said.

'In many [areas] we have already speeded up.'

Fellow deputy Ma Lik quoted the NPC chairman  as saying the central government was very concerned with the special administrative region.

'Mr Wu said the constitutional development in Hong Kong should follow the Basic Law principle of gradual and orderly progress, executive-led government and even participation by different sectors in Hong Kong,' Mr Ma said.

The NPC chairman reiterated that Hong Kong's political development should proceed in a cautious manner because it had a bearing on the relationship between the central government and the special administrative region, as well as on the long-term prosperity of Hong Kong, Mr Ma said.

Vice-convenor of the Hong Kong delegation Ng Ching-fai quoted Mr Wu  as saying the task faced by the Hong Kong government had been very hard but it had made some achievements.

The state leader said the economic situation in Hong Kong was very good and he had full confidence in the city's future.

Speaking before a meeting with the Macau deputies to the NPC, Mr Wu said the situation in Macau was excellent.

Asked whether the situation in Macau was better than that in Hong Kong, he said the situations of the two special administrative regions were good.



Heavyweights meet HK delegates