Chinese state leader Zhang Dejiang to visit Macau early next month for ‘major announcement’

Central government’s No 3 official to make two-day visit in last trip to either special administrative region before key party gathering later this year

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Zhang warned Hong Kong against challenging the bottom line of national sovereignty. Photo: Xinhua

Published: 4:15pm, 28 Apr 2017Updated: 11:35pm, 28 Apr 2017

China’s No 3 leader Zhang Dejiang is expected to make a “major announcement” when he visits Macau for two days early next month.

It will be his last trip to either of China’s two special administrative regions, Hong Kong and Macau, before a key Communist Party gathering later this year.

Sources in the casino hub with knowledge of the visit said the head of the National People’s Congress would make an important announcement during the visit, expected to take place between May 8 and 10.

The visit by Zhang, China’s top man responsible for Hong Kong and Macau, was confirmed in a one-line press release issued by Xinhua on Friday. The last time he visited either city was in May last year when he made a landmark trip to Hong Kong.

While Zhang met opposition lawmakers from Hong Kong’s pan-democratic camp during the last trip, Au Kam-san, one of the few pro-democracy lawmakers in Macau, said he would not be particularly interested in meeting the state leader even if there were such an opportunity.

“If it’s only an occasion for him to lecture us rather than having a meaningful exchange, I’m not interested,” he said.