UK official Dominic Johnson’s visit shows Hong Kong values cooperation, John Lee says, but warns of ‘certain countries’ acting to ‘serve political interests’
- Chief Executive John Lee says he welcomes foreign officials to city, including UK trade minister
- Johnson, first senior British official to visit Hong Kong in five years, concludes his three-day trip on Tuesday
British trade minister Dominic Johnson’s visit shows that Hong Kong values international collaboration and relies on it as a bedrock for success, the city leader has said while also criticising “certain countries” that act to “serve their own political interests”.
“We welcome officials from any country coming to the city,” he said before his weekly meeting with the Executive Council, the city’s top decision-making body.
“Hong Kong is an open society and has long valued regional and international collaboration. This has been a bedrock of its success as an international city.”
Johnson, the minister of state in Britain’s Department for Business and Trade, concludes his three-day visit to the city on Tuesday. During the trip, he met Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury Christopher Hui Ching-yu and tycoons including CK Hutchison chairman Victor Li Tzar-kuoi on Monday.
He also visited tech hub Cyberport, praising the business park in Southern district as having “arguably the most dynamic incubators” in Hong Kong.
The UK minister said the purpose of the trip was to reinforce his country’s willingness to engage with the city and Beijing, while reiterating that Britain would not “duck” its historical responsibilities to Hongkongers and continue to call out “violation of their freedoms”.
