Beijing’s point man on Hong Kong affairs meets HSBC CEO Georges Elhedery

Beijing’s point man on Hong Kong affairs has met a delegation led by HSBC Group CEO Georges Elhedery, marking his second meeting with the bank’s leadership in eight months.

But the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office did not reveal what was discussed in the meeting between its director, Xia Baolong, and Elhedery in Beijing on Thursday.

Xu Qifang, the executive deputy director of the office and veteran HSBC banker Peter Wong Tung-shun also attended the meeting.

During his meeting with group chairman Mark Tucker in April, Xia called on HSBC to act as an “important bridge” in Sino-British relations and promote both the country and the city to the international community.

Acknowledging HSBC Group’s “long-term optimism over China and Hong Kong” and its active participation in the city’s economic and social development, he also urged the conglomerate to play to Hong Kong’s strengths and be more active in helping cement the city’s role as an international financial centre.