President Xi Jinping lauds efforts to curb Hong Kong independence advocates and offers full support
Leader praises city’s governing team for working hard and showing a ‘sense of responsibility towards the country, Hong Kong and history’
President Xi Jinping began a landmark visit to Hong Kong on Thursday, lauding the local government for “effectively curbing” independence advocacy, and promising Beijing’s full support to usher the city into a new future.
On the first day of his three-day visit to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Hong Kong’s handover to China, Xi said “the city’s governing team has worked hard and shown a sense of responsibility towards the country, Hong Kong and history” in making the “one country, two systems” policy a success.
In a meeting with top officials, including heads of the city’s judiciary and legislature, Xi said: “You made achievements on issues such as land, housing, elderly and poverty ... and, especially, on steadily handling a series of important political and legal issues and curbing ‘Hong Kong independence’ effectively.”
The president praised Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying’s team for demonstrating a “noteworthy sense of political commitment”. Key members of Leung’s team will stay on to serve under his successor, Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor, who takes over as the city’s leader on Saturday.
Last year, two newly elected localist lawmakers who insulted China during their swearing-in were stripped of their seats, as the nation’s top legislative body issued an interpretation of the city’s mini-constitution, making “insincere” oath-taking punishable by instant disqualification.