Xia Baolong, director of the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council, will visit Hong Kong for a two-day inspection from Tuesday, Sing Tao Daily, the sister publication of The Standard, has learned, with his trip coinciding with the start of public consultation on the SAR government’s first five-year plan.
Xia is expected to leave on Wednesday. His visit comes as the government launches a two-month public consultation on the five-year plan on Monday, with observers believing the plan will be a key focus of his trip.
Xia has visited Hong Kong each year for the past three years. His longest visit was in 2024, lasting a week. Last year he made two trips, including a February visit to the Hong Kong Park in the Loop and the Qianhai Shenzhen-Hong Kong Modern Service Industry Cooperation Zone, and a five-day visit in June for meetings with legislative, executive and judicial heads.
In recent months, Xia has made multiple inspection tours of the Greater Bay Area, including a June 1-4 visit to the Hengqin Guangdong-Macao Deep Cooperation Zone and Zhuhai.
National think tank adviser Lau Siu-kai said Beijing is particularly interested in Hong Kong’s five-year plan and the development of the Northern Metropolis. Given the short two-day itinerary, Lau suggested Xia may not conduct any district visits.