Hong Kong's top business and political honchos are meeting with President Xi Jinping in Beijing on Monday, three weeks following the rejection of the pro-democracy movement's appeal for electoral reforms.

The delegation includes Asia's wealthiest men, Lee Shau-kee and Li Kar-shing, among 60 other prominent figures in the business and political sectors of Hong Kong.

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Chairmen of various professional bodies and major business chambers are also attending, including members of the city's Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) Standing Committee.

Hong Kong's former chief executive Tung Chee-hwa leads the delegation of tycoons who have been invited by the central government to discuss the city's future.

According to the South China Morning Post, the business dignitaries aim to put forth a united front against the Occupy Central movement even as they urge Hong Kong to demand for more constructive political reforms.

The delegation is expected to be given a high-profile reception by President Xi despite a week-long boycott of classes involving thousands of students from at least two dozen tertiary level institutions.

Student activists are staging a protest against China's failed promise of greater democracy as indicated in the agreement that led to the return of the British territory to China in 1997.

The boycott begun over the weekend and is seen as a prelude to the larger pro-democracy sit-in that is due on October 1. Critics say the planned Occupy Central sit-in will shut down the city's financial district, BBC reported.

Speaking to reporters gathered at the Beijing Hotel, chairman of the Henderson Land Development, Lee, said that he is seeking for more favorable political reforms from the central government.

A gradual approach to the issue of universal suffrage is key to safeguarding the future of the city, he noted. The sky cannot be reached in a single step, Lee said. He implored Hong Kong citizens to "take it slow and gradually".

In August, Beijing's government has ruled out the open nominations campaigned for by pro-democracy activists in the special administrative region. Instead, Hong Kong will choose its next chief executive from Beijing's own roster of candidates.

Chan Wing-kee, a member of the elite delegation and of the CPPCC Standing Committee, hopes to get from the central leadership a clearer statement on the political reform. He believes there are still a lot of people in the city who still find the issue unclear.

The delegation will meet with President Xi in the Great Hall of the People on Monday afternoon. In the morning, they will attend a seminar on political reform held by National Development and Reform Commission.

TagsPolitics of Hong Kong, Hong Kong