Beijing’s top official in charge of the body responsible for liaising with non-party groups has made a rare inspection tour of Hong Kong and met the city’s leader, who pledged to unite patriotic forces locally to contribute to the nation’s development.
Shi Taifeng, director of Beijing’s United Front Work Department, held a closed-door meeting with Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu at the Government House on Monday, a day before Shi delivered a keynote speech at the Overseas Chinese World Conference for Promoting Peaceful Reunification of China, which is being held in the city.
Shi’s Hong Kong trip is the first by a United Front Work Department director in nearly a decade.
The official, also a Politburo member, is expected to stay for three to four days to meet local representatives in business, overseas Chinese organisations and religious groups.
Lee pledged in the meeting that his administration would firmly implement the principle of “patriots governing Hong Kong”, and unite those forces to contribute to the construction of Chinese modernisation and the nation’s rejuvenation, according to the city government.
“The Hong Kong government will continue to actively promote efforts from different sectors of the community in leveraging Hong Kong’s strengths to serve the country’s needs, in a bid to contribute to the building of a great country,” Lee said.
The city leader also told Shi that the local government and society would “earnestly learn” and implement from guidelines outlined at the third plenary session of the Communist Party’s 20th Central Committee, which he said were crucial for Hong Kong’s long-term development, prosperity and stability.
Beijing threw its weight behind Hong Kong’s bid to become an “international hub for high-end talent” in a resolution backed by the Communist Party’s third plenary session, a twice-a-decade, four-day policy meeting, in July.
During Monday’s meeting, Lee also extended gratitude to Shi and the Beijing official’s inspection tour showed his care and support for Hong Kong.
Shi’s comments at the meeting were not included in the statement.
Other Hong Kong officials who met Shi included Chief Secretary Eric Chan Kwok-ki, finance chief Paul Chan Mo-po, Secretary for Justice Paul Lam Ting-kwok, as well as tourism minister Kevin Yeung Yun-hung and mainland affairs chief Erick Tsang Kwok-wai.
Accompanying Shi’s delegation were Chen Xiaojiang, executive deputy head of the United Front Work Department, Beijing’s liaison office chief in Hong Kong Zheng Yanxiong and Nong Rong, deputy director of the State Council’s Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office.
The last visit by a top united front work official to Hong Kong was in 2015, when Sun Chunlan held the position.
Shi also visited Macau for two days before arriving in Hong Kong on Monday.
According to the Macau government, Shi told Chief Executive Ho Iat-seng in a meeting that the casino hub was “a successful example” of the implementation of the “one country, two systems” governing principle.
He also said that Macau’s future would be brighter as the party’s third plenum had provided new major opportunities to its development.
The annual Overseas Chinese World Conference for Promoting Peaceful Reunification of China was first held in 2000 in Berlin, Germany. Hong Kong has hosted it twice before, including most recently in 2010.
This year’s theme is about promoting China’s peaceful reunification and pushing forward with the “great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation”.
The conference is expected to attract about 1,200 representatives from more than 50 countries and regions.
A 2024 Hong Kong Declaration is also expected to be announced at the conference.
