“The government and public corporations will take the lead in launching a series of discounts and activities, to let Hongkongers happily celebrate the handover.”

A government source said the celebratory activities might give consumption a boost but economists noted that it was hard to estimate the impact on spending.

The Post has contacted the Chief Executive’s Office for comment.

According to Lee, residents can enjoy free July 1 rides on a number of ferry routes, as well as on trams for five days in a row.

The free ferry rides will cover the Tsim Sha Tsui-Wan Chai route operated by Star Ferry, the Central-Hung Hom route by Fortune Ferry, as well as Hong Kong Water Taxi trips to Tsim Sha Tsui East, Central, Wan Chai, and West Kowloon.

The Hong Kong Wetland Park and a number of museums, including M+ and the Hong Kong Palace Museum in the West Kowloon Cultural District, will offer free entry to the public.

Facilities operated by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department, including most swimming pools, will also be opened for free.

More than 1,000 eateries will offer discounts of 29 per cent. The figure is drawn from the phrasing of discounts in Chinese – indicating instead the amount customers need to pay, which would be 71 per cent, a play on “7/1” referring to July 1.

The discount will also apply to those buying local grocery products through the Local Fresh mobile app from July 1 to 7.

For the whole of July, residents visiting Green@Community recycling stations can also earn extra points that can be used to redeem gifts offered by the Environmental Protection Department.

Economist Simon Lee Siu-po, an honorary fellow at the Asia-Pacific Institute of Business at Chinese University, said the discounts offered at the restaurants could bring about more business even though the amount might not be significant.

“It is a gimmick for the celebration,” he said. “The celebrations bring happiness, which is priceless.”

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But the city leader also warned residents against the “hijacking” of handover celebrations.

“We had two years of July 1 being hijacked by others, with peace broken and illegal acts committed. So, we must not let our guard down,” John Lee said. “On a day that is worth celebrating by everyone, we should try our best to let everyone spend it happily and joyfully.”

The opposition bloc had from 2003 held an annual march on the date until the Covid-19 pandemic struck three years ago, followed by Beijing’s imposition of the national security law on the city that altered the political landscape.

Lee stressed that any activities held on July 1 should follow the law, noting the sheer number of events on the coming date.

Separately, the chief executive expressed hope for positive developments in US-China ties following a meeting between Chinese President Xi Jinping and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Monday.

Beijing says Hong Kong leader John Lee should be invited to Apec meeting in US

Lee did not comment when asked about the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum in San Francisco in November. He is among Hong Kong officials sanctioned by the United States for their perceived roles in the national security law, and it is still unclear if he would be allowed to attend the event in the US with other world leaders.

The city’s leader merely highlighted Hong Kong’s unique role on the international stage. “Regardless of developments in US-China relations, Hong Kong will continue to leverage its distinctive advantages in bridging the world and the Chinese market, we will also continue to promote Hong Kong to the world.”

Beijing earlier called on Washington to fulfil its obligations as the host of the key trade summit and allow Lee to attend, after a bipartisan group of US lawmakers appealed to the Biden administration to bar him from entering the country.