Hong Kong gears as much as welcome Xi for handover anniversary

HONG KONG (AP) — Chinese language President Xi Jinping is about to start a two-day go to to Hong Kong to mark the twenty fifth anniversary of the town’s handover to mainland China, with a raft of heightened safety measures and hundreds of visitors put into quarantine forward of the celebrations.

Xi, who has not left mainland China for the reason that pandemic started 2 1/2 years in the past, will attend a ceremony marking Hong Kong’s return to Chinese language rule on July 1, 1997 and officiate an inauguration ceremony for the brand new authorities led by incoming chief John Lee on Friday.

Xi is anticipated to reach within the metropolis by high-speed prepare together with his spouse, Peng Liyuan, on Thursday afternoon, based on native newspaper South China Morning Submit.

He’s anticipated to go to the Hong Kong Science Park earlier than assembly with pro-Beijing politicians and tycoons, after which attend a closed-door banquet hosted by outgoing Hong Kong Chief Government Carrie Lam, the newspaper stated.

Each Xi and Peng are prone to spend Thursday evening within the Chinese language metropolis of Shenzhen — quarter-hour away from Hong Kong by high-speed prepare — and return to the town on Friday morning to attend the July 1 occasions.

Forward of his arrival Thursday, hundreds of visitors — together with prime officers, lawmakers and diplomats — checked in to quarantine resorts earlier this week and have been taking each day nucleic acid checks as a part of coronavirus precautions.

Police have additionally ramped up safety, designating safety zones and street closures in addition to a no-fly zone for Friday.

Greater than 10 journalists from native and worldwide media retailers had their purposes to cowl the July 1 occasions rejected earlier this week on “safety grounds,” with the federal government saying it was “hanging a stability between the necessity of media work and safety necessities.”

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