A senior Beijing official overseeing Hong Kong affairs has met a delegation of government officials visiting the capital, as part of their study programme to better understand the nation's policies and development strategies.

The Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office (HKMAO) said its director, Xia Baolong, held talks with a group of permanent secretaries and heads of department led by civil service chief Ingrid Yeung on Tuesday afternoon.

Others in attendance included HKMAO executive deputy director Xu Qifang.

According to a Hong Kong government statement, Yeung thanked Xia for fully affirming the work of public servants in the SAR, and expressing his encouragement and expectations for senior officials.

"Permanent secretaries, as the most senior officers in the civil service, along with heads of departments, play a crucial role in implementing and executing government policies," Yeung said.

"We are committed, with our utmost efforts and unity, to fulfilling our duties, rendering full support to the chief executive in governance, steadfastly upholding the executive-led system, defending the bottom line of security and development, and delivering tangible benefits for the public, thereby starting a new chapter for the high-quality development of Hong Kong."

The minister also said the government workforce, particularly permanent secretaries, will proactively align their work with the country's 15th Five-Year Plan and coordinate development across various sectors to "lay a more solid foundation for Hong Kong's long-term prosperity and stability and to better integrate into and serve the overall development of the country".

Earlier in the day, the officials were given an analysis on the international landscape and China-US relations from Chen Wenxin, the director of Institute of American Studies at the China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations.

The group will continue their studies at the National Academy of Governance in Beijing on Wednesday, before departing for Chengdu in the afternoon.


Edited by Aaron Tam