Beijing’s top official on Hong Kong visits temporary housing project

Beijing’s top official on Hong Kong affairs has visited a temporary housing project and a community centre in the New Territories during his first day of inspections, housing chief Winnie Ho has said.

Xia Baolong, director of the Hong Kong and Macao Work Office, inspected the Hung Shui Kiu/Ha Tsuen New Development Area Community Liaison Centre and the site of a planned university town on the first day of his visit.

He also inspected a Light Public Housing project on Yau Pok Road in Yuen Long with Ho and Chief Executive John Lee.

Inspections

Xia will be in the city until Wednesday to asses the city’s alignment with China’s five-year blueprint, as well as examine progress on the Northern Metropolis, a tech hub development in the New Territories.

“It was an honour for Director Xia to inspect the Yau Pok Road project and to show him that the project has reached full occupancy after a year in operation,” housing chief Ho told reporters.

On a 2021 visit to Hong Kong, Xia said he hoped the city would eradicate its infamous sub-divided flats and cage homes by 2049, echoing Beijing’s characterisation of Hong Kong’s housing crisis as a “deep-rooted problem.”

In addition to the temporary housing estates, which will only be operational for a set duration, Ho said that other projects will supply about 20,000 units in the second half of the year to meet the 2026-27 target.

Ho added that the housing projects were made possible by a modular prefabrication process undertaken in the Greater Bay Area.

Xia also visited the first residents to move into the project, the housing chief said. Moving into the temporary estate improved their living conditions and rental burden, and they will be able to move into a conventional public housing estate in six months, Ho said.

The Beijing official’s visit comes a day after the Hong Kong government launched a public consultation on its first five-year plan, aligning with Beijing’s practice.

At a press conference to announce the launch of a two-month public consultation for the city’s five-year plan, Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Janice Tse said Hong Kong would “follow [China’s] lead” and roll out the city’s own plan.

“Through this, we will better align ourselves with and serve national development as well as seize the new opportunities,” Tse said.

“We will strive to speed up progress on our international innovation and technology centre and the Northern Metropolis. We will also help drive growth for the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area,” she added.

The plan will also look at livelihood issues such as healthcare, education, and housing, she added.