Beijing’s top official on Hong Kong affairs urges business leaders, tycoons to keep faith with city, pledges central government’s full support
- Xia Baolong, director of the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office, praises ‘fighting spirit’ of city’s entrepreneurs in meeting, dinner stretching over four hours
- City leader John Lee says officials earlier had ‘very good exchanges of opinions’ with Xia and his team
Beijing’s top official overseeing Hong Kong affairs urged its business leaders and tycoons to keep faith with the city as he pledged the central government’s unwavering support at a meeting with about 20 entrepreneurs on Friday, as some voiced the need to retain the financial hub’s international standing.
Sources told the Post they raised this concern as well as worries about the city’s sluggish property market during the two-hour meeting with Xia Baolong, director of the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office (HKMAO), that extended into dinner at government headquarters.
Xia praised the entrepreneurs’ “fighting spirit” in developing Hong Kong, their social responsibility and patriotism during the meeting, saying they had “played an important role” in maintaining the city’s prosperity and stability and the country’s opening up, according to the office.
Beijing’s top official on Hong Kong on mission to plan ‘new stage of development’
“I hope that everyone will strengthen their confidence in development, carry forward their fine traditions,” he told the attendees, calling on them to “actively support” Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu’s administration and contribute to the development of the city and the country with actual actions.
Xia also expressed gratitude to the business chiefs for their long-standing presence in the country at the meeting that included Swire Pacific chairman Guy Bradley and entertainment tycoon Allan Zeman.
Bosses of leading developers, including Sun Hung Kai Properties chairman and managing director Raymond Kwok Ping-luen, Sino Group deputy chairman Daryl Ng Win-kong and Shui On chairman Vincent Lo Hong-sui, also attended the session.
Xia’s visit to Hong Kong last year raised eyebrows when prominent developers were not invited to any of his meetings.
One source said Xia, when rounding up Friday’s session, urged the business chiefs to have faith in Hong Kong and pledged Beijing’s full backing for the city, offering assurances that the “one country, two systems” governing framework would continue as it was also favourable for the country.
“Beijing will continue to need Hong Kong,” the source quoted Xia as saying at the session, which was easily his longest engagement since his trip began on Thursday.
More than one speaker brought up the city’s lacklustre property market and its effect on local consumption, while multiple attendees expressed support for the government’s efforts to create a home-grown national security law, noting that businesses favoured stability, a source said.
Several speakers also welcomed a decision announced by Beijing on Friday to allow residents of two more mainland Chinese cities, Xian and Qingdao, to visit Hong Kong on an individual basis from March 6, although there were also calls from the floor to relax an existing visa scheme for Guangdong residents.
Some representatives highlighted the importance of Hong Kong remaining international and maintaining connectivity with the world.
Aron Harilela, chairman of the Harilela Group, Philip Lawrence Kadoorie, non-executive director of Hongkong and Shanghai Hotels, Sunwah Group chairman Jonathan Choi Koon-shum and Pacific Century Group’s Richard Li Tzar-kai, the younger son of the city’s wealthiest man, Li Ka-shing, were also at the meeting.
Others present included Pang Yiu-kai, chairman of Hong Kong at Jardine Matheson Holdings, Pansy Ho Chiu-king, managing director of Shun Tak Holdings, and Victor Fung, chairman of Fung Group.
Lee, Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po and his deputy Michael Wong Wai-lun, financial services chief Christopher Hui Ching-yu, commerce minister Algernon Yau Ying-wah and development secretary Bernadette Linn Hon-ho also attended.
Dinner on Friday evening ran for a further two hours.
Earlier in the day, Lee said Xia and his team were satisfied with the city’s overall situation and had great faith in his administration’s governance approach.
Lee said his administration had briefed Xia and had “very good exchanges of opinions” with him and his team.
“The study team [led by Xia] is keen to listen to views about what requests we have for the central government, so that they can consider them,” he said.
Who is Xia Baolong and what is his fact-finding visit to Hong Kong about?
Following his exchange with Xia, Lee said city officials would work on developing more precise proposals to help foster economic development, as past efforts had touched on various issues and involved multiple government bodies.
“So there is a very strong common will that we should lay out priority requests. And also, we should spell out some of the details of the requests, so that they will be addressed as quickly as possible,” Lee said.
“In due course, I’m very confident that we will be getting a lot of new plans of action that will be helpful to the overall economic development of Hong Kong.”
Xia’s second day in Hong Kong started with breakfast alongside members of the Executive Council, the city’s key decision-making body.
Thirteen legislators were also given the chance to discuss policies with Xia during the meeting.
“Xia once again conveyed the central government’s care and support for Hong Kong, while expressing his confidence in the city’s prospects,” Lee said after the meeting.
Xia also visited the International Organisation for Mediation Preparatory Office in Central in the afternoon to show Beijing’s support for the city’s efforts to become an international mediation hub.
According to an HKMAO statement, Xia said his mission on his seven-day visit was to work with the administration and all sectors of society to plan a “new stage of development” for Hong Kong.
A one-month consultation exercise on the Article 23 legislation ends next Wednesday.
Xia on Thursday first visited the Integrated Airport Centre, launched last year to support Hong Kong’s three-runway system, along with city leader Lee and Zheng Yanxiong, the head of Beijing’s liaison office in the city.
He then went to the government headquarters in Admiralty for two briefings from Lee and top officials in the afternoon.
