Xia Baolong, Beijing’s top official on Hong Kong affairs, will ‘meet leaders of foreign business chambers on Monday’

Xia Baolong, director of the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office (HKMA), set to meet foreign business groups on Monday, including American Chamber of Commerce

Analysts say meeting underscores Xia’s mission to voice backing for the city while listening to economic concerns

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Xia Baolong (left), director of Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office, waves to reporters. He is currently in the city on a seven-day fact-finding mission. Photo: Edmond So

Published: 10:27pm, 24 Feb 2024Updated: 4:02pm, 26 Feb 2024

Beijing’s top official on Hong Kong affairs will meet leaders of foreign business chambers on Monday, the Post has learned, with analysts saying the move underscores his mission to voice backing for the city while listening to economic concerns.

At least two sources said Xia Baolong, director of the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office (HKMAO), would meet the organisations at the start of the working week, with the American Chamber of Commerce among them. The invitations were understood to have been extended on Saturday.

The meeting is set to take place three days after Xia spoke to about 20 property developers and tycoons, urging them to have faith in the city and offering assurances that the “one country, two systems” governing principle would continue.

Lau Siu-kai, a consultant at semi-official Beijing think tank the Chinese Association of Hong Kong and Macau Studies, said he expected Xia would meet both local and foreign business groups during his seven-day fact-finding trip in the city.

Xia would use the opportunity to express to the international business chambers Beijing’s support for Hong Kong, Lau said, arguing it would counter the “smearing” that the city had received from Western media and some commentators.

The top Beijing official on Hong Kong affairs met property developers and tycoons on Friday. Photo: ISD

Lau noted that the Beijing official would also take the chance to listen to their concerns, which might include those about the legislation of the city’s domestic national security law, or mainland China’s economic conditions.