Xia Baolong holds 3-hour closed-door talks with Hong Kong business leaders

Beijing’s top official overseeing Hong Kong affairs held a three-hour closed-door discussion with local tycoons and business leaders on the third day of his inspection trip to the city on Friday.

Xia Baolong, director of the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office, also visited Ocean Park in the afternoon before taking a boat trip to Lamma Island.

The exchanges on Friday morning, held at the government headquarters in Admiralty, marked the first time since last November that Xia had direct talks with local business elites in Shenzhen.

Tycoons at the meeting included Peter Lee Ka-kit, chairman and managing director of Henderson Land Development; Gordon Wu Ying-sheung, chairman of Hopewell Holdings; Stephen Ng Tin-hoi, chairman and managing director of the Wharf Holdings; and Sonia Cheng Chi-man, executive director of New World Development.

Wingco Lo Kam-wing, president of the Chinese Manufacturers’ Association of Hong Kong, and Jonathan Choi Koon-shum, chairman of the Chinese General Chamber of Commerce, were also among those seen streaming into the venue.

Financial sector heavyweights, including Carlson Tong Ka-shing, chairman of Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing, and Haywood Cheung Tak-hay, chairman of the Hong Kong Gold Exchange, also showed up.