Beijing's top official overseeing Hong Kong affairs, Xia Baolong, on Tuesday encouraged young people to work hard, as he held exchanges with youth representatives during the sixth day of his inspection trip to the SAR.

The discussions between the director of the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office and young people were part of Xia's visit to the West Kowloon Cultural District that lasted more than three hours.

Chief Executive John Lee, Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs Alice Mak and vice-chairman of the All-China Youth Federation and lawmaker Kenneth Fok were among those present at the meeting.

A student from the University of Hong Kong said Xia was interested in learning about young people in the city.

"[Xia] shared his views about young people in Hong Kong... He told us to work hard and explore opportunities," the student said. "I am happy that we had exchanges. It was a rare opportunity to meet him."

The senior Beijing official also visited the Hong Kong Palace Museum and met with economists in the afternoon to discuss the city's economic development.