Chinese President Xi Jinping to officiate at Hong Kong’s 25th handover anniversary ceremony – but it could be a day visit
- Xi will ‘attend a meeting celebrating the 25th anniversary of Hong Kong’s return to the motherland and the inaugural ceremony of the sixth-term government’, Xinhua reports
- Mainland official source says the president will not stay overnight in Hong Kong
President Xi Jinping will officiate at a ceremony to mark the 25th anniversary of Hong Kong’s return to Chinese rule and swear in the administration of incoming leader John Lee Ka-chiu, with top officials hailing his attendance as a sign of his commitment and support for the city.
Following weeks of speculation on the president’s involvement in the July 1 events, state news agency Xinhua reported on Saturday morning that Xi would “attend a meeting celebrating the 25th anniversary of Hong Kong’s return to the motherland and the inaugural ceremony of the sixth-term government”.
Xi’s visit, his first outside mainland China since the pandemic started in 2020, will mark the second time he has presided over anniversary events in Hong Kong and the swearing-in ceremony of a new city leader since becoming China’s president in 2013.
In 2017, Xi led the swearing-in of the city’s fourth chief executive, Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor, and her cabinet on July 1.
Outgoing leader Lam, Chief Executive-designate John Lee Ka-chiu and incoming ministers issued statements extending their welcome and gratitude to the president almost immediately after the announcement.
But Xinhua’s statement raised eyebrows for not disclosing a set of dates for his visit, raising the possibility it could be a day trip or that his plans had yet to be finalised.
The statement, which cited Xi’s other titles of general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, departed from the one announcing his 2017 visit which reported he would “go” to Hong Kong from June 29 to July 1 and “inspect” the city.
2 top Hong Kong officials contract Covid, raising concerns over state leader visit
But two mainland Chinese sources involved in the coordination of the celebrations said there was a very high chance Xi would be present in person despite concerns about Covid-19.
A Beijing-based source said: “As of now, the final goal of ensuring a good Hong Kong trip for the president to grace the occasion in person is intact. We are working with the Hong Kong side very closely to ensure every detail is taken care of.”
A second mainland official source said Xi would not stay overnight in Hong Kong. The president’s “presence is a very important booster to the new Hong Kong administration team and the people of Hong Kong”, he added.
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A look back at Hong Kong 25 years since the handover
Concerns had grown in recent days over the anniversary plans after two incoming key officials caught Covid-19.
Constitutional affairs minister Erick Tsang Kwok-wai and incoming chief secretary Eric Chan Kwok-ki were on Thursday confirmed as infected, the same day other senior local officials entered a “closed-loop” arrangement aimed at protecting them from infection ahead of the anniversary.
Daily coronavirus caseloads have continued to trend upwards locally, with health authorities on Saturday reporting 1,794 infections, including 114 imported ones, marking the eleventh consecutive day of four-digit figures.
Lau Siu-kai, vice-president of semi-official think tank the Chinese Association of Hong Kong and Macau Studies, said he had expected Xi to visit the city. The decision not to state Xi’s length of stay was to allow flexibility in his schedule, he added.
“It may not necessarily be related to the pandemic, it could be he did not want to reveal the arrangement in detail. It depends on the preparation in Hong Kong,” he said.
Political heavyweight Tam Yiu-chung said he did not want to speculate based on the information in Xinhua’s announcement.
“The situation this year is different from last time due to the pandemic. We need to take all epidemic-prevention measures. Let’s wait and see the coming announcement of how he will attend the event and the detailed arrangements,” said Tam, Hong Kong’s sole delegate to the nation’s top legislative body.
In his statement, incoming chief executive Lee said Xi’s attendance was of significance for Hong Kong, especially at the “crucial stage of advancing from chaos to governance, and gradually towards prosperity”.
04:32
Hong Kong by the numbers, 25 years after the handover
Expressing delight at the top leader’s attendance, Lee added: “I wish to express my heartfelt gratitude to President Xi for his caring and support for Hong Kong.”
Lam, meanwhile, said the city had “steadfastly” been implementing the “one country, two systems” governing principle with Xi’s “warm regards” and support from central authorities.
Xi’s attendance “fully shows the importance that the central authorities attach to and their support for Hong Kong”, she said in her statement.
Incoming principal officials said his attendance would give “tremendous confidence” to the governing team.
Earlier on Saturday, former justice minister Elsie Leung Oi-sie said the state leader could appoint a person, even the city’s chief executive, to preside over the swearing-in of principal officials, explaining the law only stipulated that they should take their oath before a representative selected by the central government.
“[We] do not need to be overly worried … Whether the state leader is visiting [Hong Kong] or not is not a big issue, he can appoint a representative to receive the oath,” she told a radio programme. “It’s not a must for [the two infected] officials to be sworn in on July 1, as the law only stipulates that they shall take the oath as soon as possible after their appointment.”
‘1,000 workers to enter quarantine for Hong Kong anniversary event’
A source familiar with the preparations said officials who could have close contact with the visiting state leader would have to undergo quarantine at designated hotels for two days before the event as part of the “closed-loop” arrangement.
All had also been told to avoid going anywhere apart from their workplaces and home from Thursday until June 30, and would undergo polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing for Covid-19 at designated government centres on a daily basis. Invited media have also been told they would need to do the tests and be at designated hotels from June 29.
Sources had earlier said it might be possible for the visiting state leader to tour one of the city’s secondary schools as well as the Science Park, yet plans might be changed given Xi’s tight schedule.
In Wan Chai’s Golden Bauhinia Square, where the flag-raising ceremony is expected to be held on July 1, water-filled barricades were erected on Saturday.
A check by the Post found that two five-star hotels nearby – the Renaissance Hong Kong Harbour View Hotel, where Xi stayed during his 2017 visit, and the Grand Hyatt – were closed to guests from June 27 to July 2 and June 28 to July 2 respectively.
Back in 2017, Xi and first lady Peng Liyuan’s three-day visit was conducted under an unprecedented security blanket. Xi’s tight schedule included meeting youth and other groups, as well as attending the July 1 inauguration ceremony, at which he gave a keynote address.
Xi also visited the West Kowloon Cultural District site, attended a banquet hosted by outgoing chief executive Leung Chun-ying and inspected troops of the People’s Liberation Army garrison at Shek Kong Barracks in Yuen Long.
As part of preparations for the visit, roads were closed and parts of Wan Chai and Admiralty became no-go zones, while police took no chances against the global threat of terrorism with a massive air-land-sea security operation.
Some 11,000 officers were deployed, with police bulletproof cars taking Xi and Peng to the Renaissance Hong Kong Harbour View Hotel. His delegation stayed in the adjacent Grand Hyatt.
Recounting how Xi attended 20 events over 49 hours during that visit, state media last week carried a report on his “deep affection” for Hong Kong.
The article, headlined “Hong Kong’s development is always close to my heart” and published in the Communist Party mouthpiece People’s Daily, compiled a number of Xi’s past speeches which touched on the city, highlighting his “care” for it over the decades.
Additional reporting by William Zheng and Lilian Cheng
