Chinese President Xi Jinping and Hong Kong’s new Chief Executive John Lee at the swearing-in ceremony on July 1, 2022. President Xi, on his first trip outside the mainland since Covid hit, presided over the ceremony.
Justin Chen | Bloomberg | Getty Images
Beijing – Chinese President Xi Jinping Last Friday laid out the future of Hong Kong, which is an integral part of the central government’s goals on the mainland.
“Hong Kong is now in a new stage of transition from chaos to governance, and then from governance to greater prosperity,” Xi said at the swearing-in ceremony for Hong Kong’s new chief executive, John Lee.
“The next five years will be crucial for Hong Kong to open up new horizons and launch a fresh start,” Xi said, according to an English translation broadcast via state media.
Xi oversaw the inauguration of Li, a pro-Beijing who was the only candidate for the position in the elections held in May. Lee’s tenure spans five years and his inauguration coincided with the 25th anniversary of the city’s handover to China from British colonial rule.
In his speech, the Chinese president mentioned “four hopes” for the semi-autonomous region of Hong Kong: better governance, stronger development, improving the lives of ordinary people, and achieving all-round harmony.
Xi’s trip to Hong Kong was the first outside mainland China since the epidemic began.
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