'Including HK In Development Plan Is A Big Gift'

The director of the Beijing Liaison Office, Wang Zhimin, has said that agreeing to incorporate Hong Kong into the mainland's development blueprint is a "big gift" from Beijing.

In an interview with the Ta Kung Pao daily, Wang said Hong Kong can be more deeply integrated with the mainland in future as the SAR's cross-border connectivity has improved.

He also told the newspaper that Zhongnanhai [the headquarters of Communist Party] is very concerned about Hong Kong's affairs, and that it has direct links to the people of Hong Kong.

Wang said there are some deep-seated problems in the SAR and that the local government is thinking about the city's future economic and social prospects. But he didn't elaborate.