Macau and Hong Kong put on notice by Beijing point man’s visit, experts say

Macau has come under closer scrutiny by the central government over the progress of its assigned task to jointly develop Hengqin with Guangdong province, given the latest visit to the special development zone by Beijing’s top official in charge of the affairs of the gaming hub and Hong Kong, according to analysts.

One expert also said the visit by Xia Baolong to Hengqin last week showed Beijing’s determination to push national development strategies forward and could serve as a warning to Hong Kong against straying off the national strategy blueprint.

Xia, the director of both the Communist Party’s Hong Kong and Macau Work Office and the State Council’s Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office, joined Chinese President Xi Jinping on his visit to the gaming hub last December to mark the 25th anniversary of the city’s transfer of administration.

At the time, Xi said the central government decided to develop Hengqin to promote the diversified development of Macau’s economy but he warned against projects that were inconsistent with this strategy.

Lau Siu-kai, a consultant at the Chinese Association of Hong Kong and Macau Studies semi-official think tank, said on Sunday that Beijing had high expectations for Hengqin, which Xi saw as critical to the gaming hub’s economic development and industrial diversification.

“Xia’s visit was to make sure that his directives were executed and to nudge Macau to accelerate the development of Hengqin by Macau and Guangdong,” he said.