Hong Kong's central government official tells Hong Kong not to get discouraged about the economy and plans are in the works for support from the Chinese government.

One of the three councilors who attended the meeting and spoke to the Post said Chung gave encouragement to the city.

“Mr Chung said it was no big deal for Hongkongers to head north for consumption, citing that Guangdong authorities had not complained years ago about residents coming to Hong Kong to shop. “I pointed out that there was no such thing,” said the lawmaker, who requested anonymity.

“We understand this is an encouragement from the Beijing authorities to ensure that Hong Kongers do not feel defeated if they leave the city to consume.

“His words are like a shot in the arm to us.”

The lawmaker added that Mr. Chung promised to implement policies to revitalize Hong Kong “one step at a time” but did not go into details.

Zheng met for 90 minutes with officials and councilors, including Chief Executive John Lee Kaciu, according to three councilors who attended the meeting at Tamar city government headquarters.

Additionally, he discussed last month's two meetings of the National People's Congress, China's highest legislative body, and the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, its top political advisory body, as well as his comments on the situation in Hong Kong. He added that they also discussed the idea of

The liaison office later said that Chung had said that Hong Kong needed to grasp the spirit of the two meetings from seven aspects.

Top Chinese government in Hong Kong to explain “two sessions'' to officials and lawmakers

It focuses on the spirit of Chinese President Xi Jinping's speech, the country's major achievements in the past year, confidence in the country's economic and social development, the importance of quality development, new productive capacity development strategies, and two sessions. It was preparation for This year's work and things related to Hong Kong.

“In order to live up to the spirit of the two meetings, it is important for Hong Kong to develop new productive capacity, strengthen and strengthen its position as an international financial center, and coordinate high-quality development and high levels of security. Yes,” the contact person said. The office reported Chung's remarks.

Nearly 1.76 million Hong Kong residents traveled abroad during the four-day Easter holiday that ended on April 1, with Guangdong, Fujian and Guizhou provinces being popular destinations.

This number is much smaller than the roughly 400,000 trips to Japan by mainland visitors and other tourists, according to Immigration Bureau statistics.

The tourism and restaurant industries have complained of poor business performance as Hong Kongers head north over the Easter holidays, and are calling for more government support.

Another lawmaker who attended the meeting said that Chung was “angry” after reading some media reports about the Easter holiday with the headline, “Long holiday gone, no hope for Hong Kong's revival.”

“These headlines go far beyond well-intentioned criticism and denigrate the city and its administration,” the councilor added.

Why did Hong Kong's top official in Beijing praise the city?

A third lawmaker said Mr Cheng highlighted two areas critical to Hong Kong's future: protecting national security and pursuing economic growth.

“Mr. Chung said that Hong Kong should firmly maintain its role as a 'super connector' connecting China and the rest of the world,” the lawmaker said. “I have to fulfill my role well.”

A third lawmaker also called for large-scale efforts to boost the city's economy, adding that economic growth cannot be achieved by the government alone or by specific sectors.

In a Facebook post, Chief Executive Lee expressed gratitude for Zheng's speech and the Chinese government's support for the administration's efforts.

Tuesday's meeting was the second time Chung has briefed Hong Kong officials and lawmakers on key points from two sessions since taking office in January 2023.

Last year, Chinese government officials urged Hong Kong to strengthen its position as an international financial, shipping and trade center.

He added that the city needs to develop new strengths as an international innovation and technology center and maintain a free and open business environment.