Expect Long Trade War, Wang Yang Tells HK Firms

The head of the nation's top political advisory body has told a delegation of business leaders from Hong Kong to dig in for a protracted trade war with the United States.

Wang Yang was speaking to a visiting delegation from the Chinese General Chamber of Commerce. Wang, who heads the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, also expressed support for the city's proposed new extradition laws, according to people who attended the meeting.

The chamber's chairman, Jonathan Choi, said Wang urged Hong Kong businesses to leverage their international networks to work with mainland companies that are seeking opportunities abroad.

"Chairman Wang suggests that this situation will go on for a long time," Choi said, referring to the trade dispute with Washington. "We have to plan for the future, whether we should work closer together with the Chinese enterprises, to go abroad together. He said that Chinese enterprises would like to go outside."

Beijing and Washington have hit each other with a series of tit-for-tat tariffs in recent weeks after months of talks failed to finalise a comprehensive trade deal.