Xi and Li strike right note for Hong Kong and economic growth
- The president and new premier have once again shown strong support for the city, backing for private entrepreneurs and a pragmatic approach to take the country forward in the post-pandemic era
Two “firsts” for the country’s top leaders marked the last day of the National People’s Congress at the annual “two sessions”.
President Xi Jinping made his first keynote speech since being elected to an unprecedented third term last week, and new Premier Li Qiang took his first post-congress press conference.
Both should have boosted the morale of Covid-weary Hong Kong. Xi said the city’s long-term prosperity and stability were “inseparable” from building a strong nation and called for the firm advancement of the “one country, two systems” principle.
Li, his long-time loyal aid and No 2, reaffirmed the city’s key role as a financial, trading and shipping centre.
But what really set both Xi’s speech and Li’s remarks apart was the focus on the nation’s economic growth and post-Covid recovery.
Previous premiers’ press conferences have spent a lot of time on foreign policy, with questions from American, European and even Asian reporters.