Chinese official Xia Baolong to visit Hong Kong, inspect city’s 5-year plan, Northern Metropolis

Xia Baolong, a senior Chinese official responsible for Hong Kong and Macau affairs, is scheduled to visit Hong Kong this week. His visit aims to assess the city's progress on its National 15th Five-Year Plan and the development of the Northern Metropolis, a significant tech hub project.

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Xia Baolong... will be in the city on Tuesday and Wednesday to inspect the five-year blueprint and the Northern Metropolis.

The Hong Kong government announced that Xia, director of the Hong Kong and Macao Work Office, will be in the city on Tuesday and Wednesday. His itinerary includes inspecting the city's five-year blueprint and the ambitious Northern Metropolis initiative. This visit follows closely on the heels of Hong Kong's launch of a two-month public consultation for its inaugural five-year plan.

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The government will also host activities to hear different views from lawmakers, industry leaders, and members of the public.

Chief Executive John Lee stated that the public consultation, which began Tuesday, invites residents to submit their views via a dedicated website, email, or post. The government also plans to host various activities to gather input from lawmakers, industry leaders, and the general public. Lee emphasized that the five-year plan, which he personally leads, will prioritize economic growth, technological advancement, and improving people's livelihoods, alongside deepening Hong Kong's integration into China's national development strategy.

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Xia visited Hong Kong in June last year to attend a forum marking the fifth anniversary of the national security law.

This is not Xia's first visit to Hong Kong. He attended a forum last June marking the fifth anniversary of the national security law. More recently, in April, he delivered a video speech warning against the "politicization" of events like the Wang Fuk Court fire, cautioning against attempts to "stir up chaos" in the city. The Northern Metropolis project itself is a large-scale development planned for 30,000 hectares near the border with mainland China, intended to create a tech hub, provide housing, and enhance integration with Shenzhen.

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Xia... warning of people who “politicised” the deadly Wang Fuk Court fire and tried to use the disaster to “stir up chaos” in Hong Kong.