Top Beijing Official Stays in Shenzhen During Hong Kong Visit, Local Media Report

Xia Baolong, Beijing's highest-ranking official overseeing Hong Kong affairs, opted to stay in Shenzhen overnight during his recent two-day inspection tour of the special administrative region. This departure from his usual practice of staying within Hong Kong marks a notable shift in his travel arrangements.

Local media outlets, including HK01 and Sing Tao Daily, reported that Xia crossed back into Shenzhen via the Huanggang border checkpoint on Wednesday morning after arriving in Hong Kong on Tuesday. The arrangement is reportedly intended to "promote the seamless connectivity of the infrastructure between Shenzhen and Hong Kong." Sources cited by local media described Xia's overnight stay in Shenzhen as a "live test" of the current border clearance procedures and transportation infrastructure linking the two cities.

During his visit, Xia inspected various sites, including the Kwu Tung North new development district in the New Territories and the Kwai Tsing Container Terminals. Hong Kong's transport and logistic minister, Mable Chan, briefed Xia on the development of the city's shipping industry. He also visited new facilities at the Huanggang checkpoint, where Hong Kong authorities have reconstructed the crossing and are preparing to introduce a "joint-clearance" policy with mainland authorities.

Xia, who serves as the director of the Hong Kong and Macau work office of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, has been making annual visits to Hong Kong since 2023. Previously, government statements regarding his visits did not specify his accommodation. However, reports from 2025 indicated that Xia stayed at the Office of the Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Hong Kong during his visits between 2023 and 2025.