Beijing’s top man on Hong Kong says Xi Jinping’s letter ‘a call to action’ for business sector

In a rare move, Xi Jinping wrote a letter last week replying to Hong Kong business leaders who are descendants of pioneering Ningbo-born entrepreneurs in the city

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Financial Secretary Paul Chan and liaison office director Zheng Yanxiong, attend the seminar. Photo: Sam Tsang

Published: 11:44pm, 6 Aug 2024Updated: 1:42am, 7 Aug 2024

Beijing’s point man on Hong Kong affairs has urged the business sector to study and take “practical actions” and seize on the city’s strengths to implement a call by President Xi Jinping in a recent letter rallying entrepreneurs to contribute to the country’s reform and opening up.

The message from Xia Baolong, head of the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office, was read out by Zheng Yanxiong, director of Beijing’s liaison office in the city, on Tuesday at a seminar organised by local business chambers.

In a rare move last week, Xi wrote a letter replying to Hong Kong business leaders who are descendants of pioneering Ningbo-born entrepreneurs in the city and asked them to make greater contributions to the nation’s modernisation.

Xia, in response to Xi’s reply, urged the business sector to play to Hong Kong’s strengths under the “one country, two systems” governing principle and turn their patriotism and love for the city into practical action.

“We have to thoroughly learn the spirit of Xi’s reply and the spirit of the third plenum, combined with the overall situation of the country’s reform and opening up and the actual situation of Hong Kong and Macau, giving full play to the advantages of the one country, two systems principle,” Xia wrote.

“[We should] continue to consolidate and enhance Hong Kong’s status as an international financial, maritime and trading centre and create an international hub for high-quality talent.”