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Beijing’s liaison office in Hong Kong dismisses ‘intervention’ claims at first open day event
Staff at central government branch in city seek to dispel misconceptions about their work while allowing visitors to tour premises for first time
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The central government’s top organisation in Hong Kong opened its doors to the public for the first time on Saturday to demystify its functions and build trust with locals, even as it made clear its job was to keep a close watch on the city’s affairs.
The media and up to 1,500 visitors from selected pro-establishment groups were granted access to five of the some 30 floors of the central government’s liaison office building on western Hong Kong Island in a two-day event that continues on Sunday.
“Hopefully touring and sitting alongside our staff and talking to them can bring us closer together and break the sense of secrecy,” liaison office director Wang Zhimin said in his opening remarks on Saturday.
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Wang added that Hongkongers were not familiar with his team and that the office could seem “secretive to them”.
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Deputy research director Wang Jun said the office kept a close eye on pressing issues in the city and relayed them to the central government, including housing, youth development, and national identity.
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