Xia Baolong, mainland China’s top representative in Hong Kong and Macao, has urged legislative and political representatives from the two cities to recognise the “extraordinary significance” of China’s 15th five-year plan, which will guide national economic development until 2030.
The director of the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office (HKMAO) was speaking at a meeting that took place in Beijing yesterday, shortly before the SAR delegates were due to participate in the annual Two Sessions – one of the most important political gatherings in China.
Xia told SAR delegates to cherish the hard-won and favourable conditions in their cities, champion China’s fundamental interests, uphold the spirit of the Two Sessions and support the administrative work of the SAR governments.
He also called on them to boost Hong Kong and Macao’s development, serve and facilitate better integration between the SARs and China’s national development, and contribute to the national rejuvenation of China.
After the meeting, Ko Wing-man, a Hong Kong member of the Standing Committee of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, told media outlets that Xia had urged Hong Kong to be “vigilant,” especially in light of the current state of world affairs and the instability in the Middle East.
[See more: China’s Two Sessions to outline the nation’s economic trajectory to 2030]
Hong Kong-based Chinese People’s Consultative Conference member, Thomas So Shiu-tsung, added that “Xia said, regardless of how chaotic the international situation becomes, as long as Hong Kong and Macao focus on doing our own work well and seize the opportunities of the 15th five-year plan, we will achieve robust development.”
Macao delegates who spoke to the media outlet discussed some of their goals and hopes for the city moving forward, with José Chui Sai Peng, a National People’s Congress deputy, stating that the Macao’s current implementation of a dedicated fund would help to attract more scientific development in the city, while the talent scheme would result in more research and experimentation in the SAR.
Meanwhile, representatives Si Ka Lon and Ho Ion Sang spoke about the continued development of Hengqin and Macao’s economic diversification.
Xia’s meeting with the delegates from the two SARs was held at the new Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office, which opened in late December last year. Yesterday’s meeting marked the first time he received SAR delegates at the new venue.
The two meetings that comprise the Two Sessions – the National People’s Congress (NPC) and the Chinese People’s Political Conference (CPPC) – begin in Beijing this week, with the fourth session of the 14th NPC scheduled between tomorrow and 12 March, and the fourth session of the 14th CPPC running between today and 11 March.
