Hong Kong leader John Lee set for 4-day maiden duty visit to Beijing, expected to discuss further reopening of border with mainland China
- Sources say John Lee is also expected to meet incoming state leaders such as Li Qiang, who will succeed Li Keqiang as premier
- Some politicians urge Lee to emphasise need to fully reopen city’s border with mainland by allowing quarantine-free travel.
Lee, the city’s former security minister who took up the top job in July, would also meet incoming state leaders, such as Li Qiang, who is set to succeed Li early next year, they said.
A Beijing-based official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said the work report would focus on Hong Kong’s road map to restoring national security and social stability.
Lee would also focus on the city’s reopening to the mainland and the rest of the world, its economic progress and efforts to integrate into the Greater Bay Area, the insider said. The bay area is Beijing’s plan to integrate 11 major cities along the southern coast into an economic powerhouse.
But it remained unclear whether Lee would bring up his earlier request to the central government for an interpretation of the national security law, following a top court ruling that a prominent overseas barrister could defend media tycoon Jimmy Lai Chee-ying.
The National People’s Congress Standing Committee is set to meet from December 27 to 30, but the interpretation of the national security law is not on the public agenda, and Lai’s trial has been adjourned to September next year.