Beijing is intensifying pressure on Hong Kong’s government to improve its governance and operational efficiency, with top officials highlighting the need for the city to deliver results in line with national expectations. Premier Li Qiang raised the issue in his annual work report at the ongoing Two Sessions on March 5, emphasising that Hong Kong must be “more effectively governed in accordance with the law.”
Zhou Ji, director of Beijing’s liaison office in Hong Kong, also called on the city to focus on managing its own affairs, while Vice-Premier Ding Xuexiang urged Hong Kong’s legislature to play a proactive role in enhancing the governance system to produce practical outcomes. Xia Baolong, director of the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office, described the timing as “favourable,” citing Hong Kong’s advantageous location and unity of its people.
Beijing’s repeated statements follow a series of high-profile lapses in the city’s administration. In February 2026, a newly implemented bus seat-belt law was scrapped within a week after flaws were exposed. In August 2025, plans to source drinking water from a mainland supplier were cancelled after fraud concerns emerged, resulting in disciplinary action against civil servants. The November 26 Tai Po fire, which killed 168 people and left 5,000 homeless, remains under investigation, further drawing scrutiny to the city’s disaster preparedness.
Delays in major development projects, particularly the Northern Metropolis mega hub aimed at boosting the Greater Bay Area economy, have also frustrated Beijing. Five years after its announcement, the project still faces bureaucratic red tape and infrastructure setbacks, hampering Hong Kong’s integration into China’s 15th Five-Year Plan for technological and economic development.
Beijing’s top officials are increasingly signalling impatience with Hong Kong’s slow progress. Chief Executive John Lee has pledged to expedite the mega hub’s development, citing “burning urgency” and committing to nearly 200 KPIs in his 2022 blueprint for the city. Vice-Premier Ding acknowledged the complexity of governance in Hong Kong, calling for cooperation across the executive, legislative, and judicial branches, as well as society at large, to meet the expectations set by Beijing.
The message from China is clear: Hong Kong must strengthen its administration, streamline decision-making, and deliver measurable results to align more closely with national priorities.
