Xia Baolong urges lawmakers to ‘assume a greater role’ in helping Hong Kong leader

Beijing’s point man on Hong Kong affairs makes call in a meeting with lawmakers during their week-long study tour to capital Xia Baolong (centre), flanked by other officials, meets the lawmakers in Beijing. Photo: Handout Beijing’s point man on Hong Kong affairs has called on lawmakers to better support the city’s leader, enhance governance, inject new momentum into local development and address residents’ needs. Xia Baolong , director of the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office, made the call as he met 88 legislators on Friday at a seminar during their unprecedented week-long national affairs study tour to the capital. Meeting the group in the Hong Kong Room of the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, Xia affirmed the work of the Legislative Council and encouraged members to “step up their learning, strengthen unity and keep fulfilling their duties with diligence”, according to a Legco press statement. Xia also urged Legco to “assume a greater role in supporting the chief executive and the [government] in administering Hong Kong in accordance with the law, so as to enhance governance efficacy of [the city], inject new impetus into the city’s growth and tackle the most pressing concerns of the people”. Lawmakers are briefed on work in the Longfu Temple Historical and Cultural District. Photo: Handout Xia’s deputies, Xu Qifang, Zhou Ji, Zhang Dongmei and Nong Rong, also attended the seminar. Zhou is also director of the central government’s liaison office in Hong Kong. During the seminar, legislators shared what they had learned during their trip and their views on Hong Kong’s latest economic and social conditions, according to the Legco statement. A social media post by the office also briefly mentioned that the meeting had taken place. Friday also marked the lawmakers’ “graduation” from the National Academy of Governance. Rounding up the visit in a Facebook post on Friday, Legco president Starry Lee Wai-king described the exchanges with mainland Chinese cadres during the trip as “a profound and thought-provoking intellectual feast”. “We have become more aware of the crucial importance of the fundamental value of ‘putting the people first’,” she said. It is the first such tour since Hong Kong’s return to Chinese sovereignty in 1997. Legco president Starry Lee at the Beijing 12345 Citizen Hotline Service Centre. Photo: Handout The lawmakers began the visit on Sunday, aiming to gain a better understanding of the country’s latest developments and policies to help Hong Kong better align with national goals. At the National Academy of Governance, they attended a series of lectures covering topics such as preventing and handling national security risks, the current international relations landscape, the mainland’s legislative mechanism and the priorities of the national 15th five-year plan for 2026-30. Unhandled type: inline-plus-widget {"type":"inline-plus-widget"} One lecture addressed the handling of major tragedies, drawing comparisons between last November’s deadly Tai Po fire and the 2021 Henan floods, which killed over 300 people and affected more than 3 million residents. Lawmakers gained first-hand information on the mainland’s technological advancements by visiting innovation and technology projects in Beijing, including the Xiaomi Auto Super Factory, sensing technology firm Beijing Tashan and Robot World at the Beijing Economic-Technological Development Area. They also toured the Longfu Temple Historical and Cultural District to study its successful transformation from an old neighbourhood into a vibrant landmark for culture and consumption. The itinerary included a visit to Beijing’s “12345 Citizen Hotline Service Centre”, a one-stop platform for handling public complaints, and a tour of the Museum of the Communist Party of China, a national patriotic education demonstration base. The study visit is expected to cost about HK$1.4 million (US$179,000), or roughly HK$15,600 per lawmaker. The estimate covers economy-class flights, accommodation, meals, local transport and other expenses. Lawmakers will conclude their visit on Saturday and return to Hong Kong.