(Bloomberg) — Chinese President Xi Jinping praised Hong Kong’s next leader for defending national security and upholding stability at their first meeting since John Lee was selected as chief executive earlier this month.
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The leader of the world’s second largest economy told Lee that the central government had “full confidence” in him on Monday afternoon, according to the official Xinhua News Agency. Xi also stressed China’s commitment to the “one country, two systems” principle and said the city’s new electoral process revamped by Beijing was “to be treasured and upheld in the long-term.”
Lee’s meeting with Xi was routine. It’s common practice for the incoming chief executive to visit Beijing to be formally appointed to the chief executive role, in line with the requirements of the Basic Law — the mini-constitution that governs Hong Kong.
Earlier Monday, Premier Li Keqiang gave Lee a letter approving his appointment, the final formality before he’s sworn into office on July 1. Li said China supported Hong Kong elevating its status as an international financial, trade and shipping hub, at a press conference.
READ: Hong Kong’s Lee Pledges to Prioritize Security, China Ties
“I am deeply honored by the appointment and aware of the great responsibility,” Lee said in Beijing on Monday, according to a statement from the Hong Kong government. “I will spare no effort to live up to the trust of the state and the expectations of the people of Hong Kong.”
During his trip, the former police officer will likely submit his cabinet picks for the central authority’s approval and discuss a plan to restructure the Hong Kong government, according to local media reports, as well as meet with other top officials. Lee is expected to hold a news conference at Hong Kong airport upon his return Tuesday afternoon, according to the South China Morning Post.
Lee’s trip to the capital is being conducted under a closed-loop system, meaning his entourage isn’t allowed to interact with anyone outside their meetings, the Post reported separately. That mirrors a protocol used for the Beijing Winter Olympics and a parliamentary summit in March, as China continues to pursue a rigid Covid Zero policy.
The former chief secretary will be formally sworn into office on the 25th anniversary of the former British colony’s return to Chinese rule. He was picked by a group of some 1,460 election committee members who’d been vetted for their loyalty to the Chinese Communist Party, and ran unopposed.
Lee will face pressure to restore business confidence in the wake of the city’s restrictive hotel quarantine rules, address the affordable housing crisis and ease social divides that were inflamed by mass anti-government street protests in 2019 — challenges he spoke optimistically about in Beijing.
“I will unite all sectors of society,” he said, “to seek development and happiness for Hong Kong, and build a long-term prosperous, stable, caring and inclusive city.”
(Updates with comments from President Xi Jinping.)
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