By South China Morning Post | Created at 2025-04-03 14:29:49 | Updated at 2025-04-04 18:29:04
1 day ago
Beijing’s top man in Hong Kong sought to reassure local officials and political elites that the financial hub would remain “the safest” in times of “a chaotic world”, as he briefed them on the spirit of the country’s annual parliamentary sessions on Thursday, the Post has learned.
Zheng Yanxiong, director of the central government’s liaison office, spoke to more than 320 attendees about the significance of the “two sessions” for the city at the government’s headquarters in a closed-door session hosted by Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu.
“In times of a chaotic world, fortunes ebb and flow,” a source quoted him as telling the gathering of principal officials, lawmakers, and local members of the country’s top legislature and political advisory body. “There is no need for anxiety or unease, for Hong Kong remains the safest.”
On Wednesday, United States President Donald Trump announced a sweeping new set of tariffs aimed at ending what he called unfair trade policies of other countries. He said an additional 34 per cent in tariffs would be applied to Chinese imports.
According to the liaison office, Zheng called on the attendees to grasp the spirit of the “two sessions”, or lianghui, which concluded last month.
Zheng said they could do so by focusing on six main areas: giving full play to the advantages of the “one country, two systems” governing principle; persisting in reform and innovation; promoting high-quality development; strengthening internal and external connections; improving governance; and strictly guarding against risks.
He also said Hong Kong should further strengthen the function of education in fostering growth in science and technology and developing talent. The city’s roles as a global higher education hub and as a centre for international innovation and technology should also be combined, he said.
