I need my passport back when my visa is being processed

Hi. I applied for my visa to hong kong at chinese embassy in london last friday the 23rd, is it possible for me to get my passport back whether my visa is granted or not as I have oversea trip on the 11th of February. I have asked the chinese embassy about the express application service like saying on their website but they told me to contact hong kong directly. Now I am panicking as I cant get through to chinese embassy on the phone as it is always on auto attendant mode.
Please let me know the answer as soon as possible. Thank you very much