Beijing’s point man on Hong Kong affairs has met the city’s No 2 official and finance chief in the capital to discuss alignment with the national 15th five-year plan, as the government prepares to draw up its own inaugural blueprint by the end of the year.

The State Council’s Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office (HKMAO) said its director, Xia Baolong, held talks with Chief Secretary Eric Chan Kwok-ki, Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po and the newly appointed Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Janice Tse Siu-wa on Thursday.

They were joined by HKMAO executive deputy director Xu Qifang and newly appointed deputy head Zhang Dongmei, the first woman in the role since the office’s status was elevated in 2023.

Photos showed a closed-door meeting and group shot at the Great Hall of the People.

The Hong Kong government also issued a statement about the meeting late on Thursday, but no details were revealed.

The three Hong Kong officials began their two-day visit to Beijing on Wednesday to discuss how to align the city’s strategies with the nation’s five-year plan, which guides development from 2026 to 2030.