Xia Baolong, director of the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office, wrapped up his five-day inspection tour on Sunday after meeting district council leaders and visiting a community living room.
Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu expressed gratitude to Xia for affirming his work and the Hong Kong governance team as "responsible, proactive and enterprising." He pledged to redouble efforts in steadfastly safeguarding national security while focusing on boosting the economy, pursuing development, and improving livelihoods.
Quoting Xia, Lee said Hong Kong has entered a new development phase five years after the implementation of the National Security Law, calling it a critical period for progress.
He highlighted four points stressed by Xia: implementing a holistic national security approach to ensure high-quality development, utilizing Hong Kong's unique bridging role to boost development through openness, leveraging Hong Kong's strong rule of law to safeguard development, and maintaining the executive-led system to enhance governance and drive development through reform.
Lee said Xia showed strong concern for Hong Kong's development and pledged to accelerate projects like the Northern Metropolis through efforts such as streamlining regulations.
Xia held a three-hour discussion with chairmen and members of the 18 district councils at the Central Government Offices, with Lee and Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs Alice Mak Mei-kuen in attendance.
At the meeting, Xia offered a glimpse of his literary skills as well, as he composed and recited a poem,
"A thousand tasks weave through your days,
Yet kindness guides your steadfast ways.
No matter if the work seems small,
you serve the people - first of all."
Xia, accompanied by Lee and Mak, also visited the To Kwa Wan Community Living Room, a neighborhood assistance center where he saw children learning by interacting with each other, and praised the concept.
Secretary for Labour and Welfare Chris Sun Yuk-han was on hand to greet the delegation.
Xia spent about half an hour touring the facility before departing for the liaison office in Hong Kong, where he received briefings on the office’s work.
Xia left Hong Kong through the Shenzhen Bay port at around 8pm.
(Staff reporter)
