Beijing’s liaison office in Hong Kong to host 1,500 visitors – but don’t call them ‘open’ days critics say

Event will be held this Saturday and Sunday with tour guides showing guests around six of the building’s lower floors

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The lobby of the liaison office in Western district. Photo: SCMP

Published: 7:01am, 26 Apr 2018Updated: 10:59am, 26 Apr 2018

Beijing’s liaison office in Hong Kong expects about 1,500 people to visit its headquarters for its first open days this weekend, but critics say the event is hardly open with only select groups invited.

News of the event came just days after office director Wang Zhimin used his first visit to the city’s Legislative Council since taking up the post last September to push for rational decision-making and patriotism as core values of the chamber, and extended an invitation to lawmakers to tour his premises in Western district – an offer the opposition pan-democrats viewed with suspicion.

Wang said in February that the office would soon be open to visits from the public. According to China News Agency, from this year the office would be opened half-yearly.

It was confirmed on Wednesday that the event would be held this coming Saturday and Sunday, with Wang officiating at an opening ceremony on Saturday morning.

Media groups were also invited to the event.

A source familiar with arrangements for the open days revealed that tour guides would show visitors around six of the lower floors of the more than 30-storey building. About 1,500 were expected over the two days.