The officials who will head Hong Kong's economic and trade offices in Shanghai and Chengdu have been named, 10 months after Chief Executive Donald Tsang Yam-kuen proposed the idea in his maiden policy address.
Patrick Chan Chi-king, former research director of the Central Policy Unit, will head the office in Shanghai, which will be ready to open by the middle of next month.
Richard Luk Fong-chun, assistant director of the Home Affairs Department, will head the Chengdu office.
A government source said Mr Chan would fly to Shanghai at the end of the month.
A spokeswoman for the Constitutional Affairs Bureau confirmed that a team of staff had been sent last week to make the necessary arrangements after a suitable office was identified several weeks ago.
It has taken the administration more than six months to make preparations since obtaining endorsement from the Legislative Council's Finance Committee in January. Each office will cost more than HK$20 million a year.