A senior Beijing official overseeing Hong Kong affairs has told SAR delegates attending the upcoming "Two Sessions" in the capital that the city will enjoy numerous opportunities under the country’s latest five-year plan. Xia Baolong, director of the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office, met National People’s Congress (NPC) and Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) members from the two SARs on Tuesday afternoon, a day before the CPPCC opens. In a statement by his office, Xia urged delegates during the closed-door meeting to fully understand the “extraordinary significance” for Hong Kong and Macao under the 15th Five-Year Plan. He called on them to cherish the hard-won situation in the two SARs and focus on the country’s top priorities. Those attending the hour-long meeting said Xia noted that “the stars are aligned” for Hong Kong, which has many opportunities under the latest five-year plan. Starry Lee, the city’s sole delegate to the NPC Standing Committee, said the meeting centred on Xia's call for members to unite and work together and “to make good use of the 15th Five-Year Plan”. “In the meantime, if we implement that, Hong Kong and Macao will result in a better future because we can help our country grow stronger, and at the same time we benefit from all these measures,” Lee told reporters. CPPCC delegate Thomas So said the senior Beijing official assured that the city has nothing to worry about in the face of external challenges. “The geopolitical situation is very uncertain, but for Hong Kong, if we are going to do what we are good at, if we are going to commit and do our development, there is nothing that we need to worry about because there are a lot of opportunities for Hong Kong and Macao coming from the 15th Five-Year Plan,” So said. Fellow CPPCC member Michael Ngai said Xia urged delegates to take the lead in safeguarding national security and prevent external forces from posing a threat to the SAR. Edited by Edmond Fong