Chinese President Xi Jinping and Hong Kong’s new CEO John Lee at the swearing-in ceremony on July 1, 2022. Xi, on his first trip off the mainland since he hit Covid, presided over the ceremony.
Justin Chin | Bloomberg | Getty Images
BEIJING – Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday outlined a future for Hong Kong, firmly integrated within the mainland central government’s goals.
“Hong Kong is now in a new stage of moving from chaos to governance, and after governance to greater prosperity,” Xi said at the swearing-in ceremony of Hong Kong’s new CEO John Lee.
“The next five years will be crucial for Hong Kong to break new ground and begin a new take-off,” Xi said, according to an English translation broadcast through state media.
Xi oversaw the inauguration of Lee, a Beijing loyalist who was the only candidate for office in an election held in May. Lee’s term is five years and its inauguration coincided with the 25th anniversary of the city’s surrender to China from British colonial rule.
The Chinese president listed in his speech “four hopes” for the semi-autonomous region of Hong Kong: better governance, stronger development, a better life for normal people and overall harmony.
Xi’s trip to Hong Kong was the first outside mainland China since the pandemic began.
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