More effective communication with mainland Chinese authorities will help Hong Kong, city leader John Lee says, as he wraps up week-long Beijing visit

Chief Executive John Lee says officials will ‘spare no effort in solving problems together with their mainland counterparts’

Analysts describe visit as a useful trust-building exercise to secure better cooperation and collaboration with the central government

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Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee has wrapped up his seven-day visit to Beijing. Photo: Facebook/@John KC Lee

Published: 4:15pm, 18 Mar 2023Updated: 12:34am, 19 Mar 2023

Hong Kong’s leader has said more effective communication with mainland Chinese authorities will help the city, as he wrapped up a week-long visit to Beijing that analysts described as a useful trust-building exercise to secure better cooperation and collaboration with the central government.

Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu’s remarks on Saturday came at the end of an unprecedented trip to the capital, where he met representatives from 11 ministries, including finance, education, foreign affairs and science and technology, and central institutions.

Noting it was the first time he had led a delegation of eight bureau chiefs on an official visit to Beijing, Lee said the support and attention of the central government was “a strong impetus for Hong Kong’s development”.

He added: “Secretaries of bureaus and directors of departments will spare no effort in solving problems together with their mainland counterparts.”

Chief Executive John Lee during his visit to Beijing. Photo: Facebook/@John KC Lee

His last engagement before returning to Hong Kong was a closed-door meeting on Saturday with justice minister He Rong.