Chinese President Xi Jinping has arrived in Hong Kong to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the former British colony’s return to China as well as the inauguration of the city’s new leader, John Lee.
Due to the Covid-19 epidemic, Xi’s trip by high-speed rail is his first to the city since 2017 and his first known trip outside of mainland China in over two years.
Among those who greeted Xi at the train station were outgoing leader Carrie Lam and her husband.
Authorities deployed heavy security around the train station where Xi arrived and conducted stop-and-search operations, with sniffer dogs assisting some officers.
During his most recent visit to the global financial center, Xi warned against acts that endanger China’s sovereignty and said Hong Kong needed to beef up its national security.
Carrie Lam, Hong Kong’s outgoing chief executive, is spending her final day in office under Covid quarantine before meeting Mr Xi in person.
China promised to protect democratic freedoms in the special administrative region for 50 years before the handover, but new laws introduced in 2020 have effectively silenced all criticism in the region.
Pro-democracy forces, who organized large-scale protests in 2019–20, have been frustrated by what they perceive as the slow pace of political reform. The Beijing government has the power to veto changes to the political system.https://www.tvcnews.tv/2022/06/ondo-govt-reaffirms-commitment-to-gender-equality/
Police have shut down parts of Hong Kong, closing roads and imposing a no-fly zone over central Victoria Harbour.
Lee, the new chief executive of Hong Kong and a former police officer who was subject to American sanctions for his role in the implementation of the national security law, is expected to be sworn in by Xi on Friday.
