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Winners and losers in another year of political upheaval for Hong Kong
New leader Carrie Lam had little time to bask in her election victory with many controversial issues to tackle
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Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor won 777 votes from the largely pro-Beijing, 1,194-strong Election Committee to succeed Leung Chun-ying as Hong Kong’s new chief executive.
She vowed to unite a city divided under the leadership of Leung, who was given the role of vice-chairman of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, a top mainland advisory body.
While seen as a less divisive figure than Leung, Lam enjoyed little of a honeymoon period, analysts said, citing the imminent need to handle controversial issues such as the “co-location” arrangement at the cross-border high-speed railway terminus at West Kowloon that will see mainland law enforcement officers working in Hong Kong.
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Xi Jinping draws red line on Hong Kong independence and lays down Beijing’s ‘comprehensive jurisdiction’
Beijing stepped up control over Hong Kong in 2017 following the rise of pro-independence forces the year before.
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President Xi Jinping, in a speech he gave during his first visit to Hong Kong on the 20th anniversary of the city’s handover, warned against any moves that endanger China’s sovereignty and security, saying that would “cross the red line”.
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