The director of the China Liaison Office in Hong Kong has said that Chinese state leader Zhang Dejiang’s visit received positive feedback from society, as Zhang concluded his three-day visit and flew back to Beijing.
Director Zhang Xiaoming was speaking at the airport’s car parking area, saying the state leader attended 18 events in Hong Kong in 48 hours, and gave a keynote speech at the Belt and Road Initiative summit hosted by the government. He also gave an important speech at a banquet held in his honour.
“The ‘see, listen, speak’ goals that chairman Zhang mentioned when he arrived in Hong Kong have been demonstrated fully in this visit, the efficiency was high, the feedback from society was very positive, the whole activity was successful,” he said.
He added that the event was meaningful as it was the first time a member of the Standing Committee of the Central Government Politburo had visited Hong Kong since the Communist Party’s 18th National Congress in 2012.
Zhang Xiaoming added that the state leader’s visit included a new arrangement whereby the first event he attended was to listen to work reports from the Hong Kong government, which expressed the central government’s care for Hong Kong.
Another such arrangement facilitated Zhang Dejiang’s meetings with members of the administration, legislature and the judiciary, including four lawmakers from the opposition camp, through the “relaxed environment” of a cocktail party.
“Such arrangements showed that Central Government leaders are willing to rationally communicate with all sectors of society, and have the sincerity to listen to different opinions,” he said.
Confidence
He said that Zhang Dejiang’s visit expressed the “unshakable” stance of implementing the One Country, Two Systems principle, to boost Hong Kong people’s confidence in the city’s future.
He cited Zhang, saying he was satisfied with the work of Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying and the Hong Kong government.
He also quoted Zhang’s speech in which he said “a small minority of people have been using the name of localism to separate the country” and said Zhang understood that most people in Hong Kong firmly opposed independence for the city.
Zhang boarded the plane back to Beijing without answering reporters’ questions.
