Justin Chin Bloomberg | Getty Images BEIJING (Reuters) – Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday set out a future for Hong Kong, firmly embedded in the mainland government’s goals on the mainland. “Now Hong Kong is in a new phase of transition from chaos to governance and after governance to greater prosperity,” Xi said at the swearing-in ceremony of Hong Kong’s new chief executive, John Lee. “The next five years will be crucial for Hong Kong to open new roads and start a new take-off,” Xi was quoted as saying by an English-language media outlet. Xi oversaw the swearing-in of Li, a Beijing believer who was the sole candidate for the May election. Lee’s tenure lasted five years, and his inauguration coincided with the 25th anniversary of the surrender of the city to China by British colonial rule. The Chinese president listed in his speech “four hopes” for the semi-autonomous region of Hong Kong: Better governance, stronger development, improved lives for ordinary people and overall harmony. Xi’s trip to Hong Kong marked the first outside mainland China since the pandemic began. This is breaking news. Check again for updates.
