RT.com
01 Jul 2022, 13:43 GMT+10
President led the ceremony as the region marked the 25th anniversary its handover from British rule
Chinese President Xi Jinping has sworn in Hong Kong's new Chief Executive, John Lee, during his first trip outside the mainland since the start of the coronavirus pandemic.
Lee, a former security official, delivered his inaugural address on Friday, setting out his vision for the territory.
The new government "will enhance Hong Kong's competitiveness and develop the economy," he said, adding that "emphasis will be put on the development of Hong Kong into an international innovation and technology hub, leveraging and combining the respective strengths of Hong Kong and the Mainland."
Though Xi did not attend a traditional flag-raising event to mark the occasion, he officiated the swearing-in ceremony after arriving in Hong Kong one day prior. The president had not left mainland China since 2019, and his last trip to Hong Kong came in 2017, when he swore in the city's previous leader, Carrie Lam.
Speaking after Lee formally took office, Xi touted Beijing's 'one country, two systems' policy, and pledged to allow some autonomy for the former British colony while keeping it part of China.
"For this kind of good system, there is no reason at all to change it. It must be maintained over the long term," he said.
Friday also marked the 25th anniversary of Hong Kong's return to Chinese governance, after more than 150 years of British rule. Though Beijing vowed that Hong Kong would have a form of self-rule and judicial independence for at least 50 years following the handover in 1997, Western leaders have accused China of curtailing that autonomy, particularly with a 2020 national security law passed in the wake of mass protests and rioting.
A former chief of police, Lee is among several senior Hong Kong officials under US sanctions over the law, which he helped to implement. China has rejected criticisms of the legislation, however, with Xi insisting it "restored order from chaos" while preserving residents' "democratic rights."
(RT.com)
Get a daily dose of Manila Metro news through our daily email, its complimentary and keeps you fully up to date with world and business news as well.
Publish news of your business, community or sports group, personnel appointments, major event and more by submitting a news release to Manila Metro.
More InformationHONG KONG: China has fired back at the European Union in an escalating trade dispute by imposing new restrictions on medical device...
(Photo credit: Matt Stone/Courier Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images) Chan Kim used a late eagle to right the ship and...
Publicly, Beijing has presented itself as a neutral party in the war sparked by Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, claiming it...
(Photo credit: Taya Gray/The Desert Sun / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images) Steve Allan of Australia rode a red-hot start to a...
New Delhi [India], July 12 (ANI): In a remarkable decision taken at the 47th Session of the World Heritage Committee, India's official...
With this addition, the total number of World Heritage sites in China has reached 60. PARIS, July 11 (Xinhua) -- China's Xixia Imperial...
In the past month alone, 23 Israeli soldiers have been killed in Gaza—three more than the number of remaining living hostages held...
LONDON, U.K.: At least 13 people are believed to have taken their own lives as a result of the U.K.'s Post Office scandal, in which...
WASHINGTON, D.C.: Travelers at U.S. airports will no longer need to remove their shoes during security screenings, Department of Homeland...
WASHINGTON, D.C.: An elaborate impersonation scheme involving artificial intelligence targeted senior U.S. and foreign officials in...
SLUBICE, Poland: Poland reinstated border controls with Germany and Lithuania on July 7, following Germany's earlier reintroduction...
WASHINGTON, D.C.: After months of warnings from former federal officials and weather experts, the deadly flash floods that struck the...