To commemorate 25 years since Beijing regained control of the former British colony, Chinese President Xi Jinping has been to Hong Kong.
His trip abroad marks the first time he has travelled since the outbreak began about 2.5 years ago.
He said Hong Kong has “risen from the ashes” after a succession of struggles.
After pro-democracy demonstrations in 2019–20, China seized control of the region, and some accuse Beijing of stifling Hong Kong’s freedoms.
Mr Xi, who travelled by high-speed train, was greeted at the station by pupils waving flags of China and Hong Kong.
Security is tight around the convention centre hosting events, with roads closed and a no-fly zone overhead.
Before meeting Mr. Xi in person, Carrie Lam, the outgoing chief executive of Hong Kong, spends her final day in office in a Covid quarantine.
She reportedly had to do this, like other officials, in order to attend a banquet to welcome Mr. Xi, according to Martin Yip of the BBC in Hong Kong.
In her final news conferences, Mrs. Lam made no mention of her immediate plans, but according to our correspondent, she is likely looking for a new residence with enough storage room for large sums of money. Due to US sanctions, she is currently unable to bank her stated salary of a few hundred thousand dollars each year.
China committed to maintain democratic freedoms in the special administrative area for 50 years before the handover, but new legislation enacted in 2020 have essentially muted all criticism in the province.
Changes to the political system are subject to Beijing’s veto, and pro-democracy groups have grown impatient with what they perceive to be the glacial pace of political reform.
