What's behind the door? Hong Kong media get rare peek inside Beijing’s liaison office

Something unprecedented happened at the central government’s liaison office last night as Hong Kong’s press pack waited outside for 40 pro-establishment lawmakers to finish a “tea gathering” with Beijing’s top envoy to the city.

At 10pm, around 1 ½ hours before the meeting was expected to finish, liaison office security staff walked out of the gate and told reporters: “You could wait inside.”

No journalist could recall being allowed into the office to wait for a guest before and what followed lifted some of the mystery that had cloaked the building in Western District.

While journalists must visit the office to collect press credentials to work in mainland China, they are not permitted to take photos inside.

Last night staff called in dozens of journalists – including cameramen and photographers –one by one, according to the name of their organisations.

Once inside, the first thing to do was go through an airport-style security check. A photographer was told to drink more water, indicating that there was too much liquid in the bottle he was carrying.