Hong Kong leader John Lee vows to win public trust with concrete actions and results as he marks first year in office, warns against ‘soft resistance’
- John Lee addresses political and business leaders at ceremony marking July 1 handover anniversary
- Chief executive also declares city on ‘fast track’ to returning to normality after coming out of the pandemic shadows
Hong Kong’s leader vowed on Saturday to gain the public’s trust with concrete actions and achievements as he marked his first year in office, but warned the city must still guard against a “soft resistance” threatening national security.
“The government will continue to stay committed to engaging in pragmatic efforts and delivering results. We will strive to gain trust through action, narrow gaps with results, and build mutual trust through achievements, in a bid to unite all sectors of the community,” Lee vowed at a reception in the Convention and Exhibition Centre in Wan Chai.
Lee said his administration had led Hong Kong out of the shadows over the past year by reconnecting it with the world and mainland China.
He noted that the economy had finally reversed four quarters of contraction by recently recording positive growth in the first quarter this year, while arrivals had exceeded 10 million in just five months.
“I have full confidence in Hong Kong, yet we must stay alert,” he warned.
Hong Kong was largely stable but “intentionally targeted and oppressed by some countries which have misjudged the peaceful development” of China, he said.
“Destructive forces using ‘soft resistance’ … are still lurking in our city. We must stay vigilant and be proactive in safeguarding national security, and should fully and faithfully implement the principle of ‘one country, two systems’,” Lee said.
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Police later said officers had not made any arrests but stopped and searched 15 people – 14 men and a woman, aged between 17 and 87 – in Wan Chai district. An 87-year-old man and woman, 54, were given verbal warnings not to disrupt public order. A woman, 67, was also given a verbal warning on Queensway, in Admiralty, the force added.
Lee pledged that he and his officials would continue to make frequent visits to the mainland and other countries and form “strong delegations” with members of different sectors to fight for more opportunities for the city in the coming year.
He also took stock of his team’s achievements, saying various talent schemes had already seen the approval of 50,000 applications in five months, while a “light public housing” programme to build 30,000 temporary flats also aimed to cut the waiting time for public housing to 4½ years.
Policy blueprints to boost innovation and technology, youth development and primary healthcare had also been rolled out, Lee added.
He addressed political, business and community leaders shortly after a flag-raising ceremony at the nearby Golden Bauhinia Square attended by top officials.
Among those flanking Lee were former leader Leung Chun-ying, now a vice-chairman of the nation’s top political advisory body, Zheng Yanxiong, director of Beijing’s liaison office in the city, Chief Justice Andrew Cheung Kui-nung and Legislative Council president Andrew Leung Kwan-yuen.
Tung Chee-hwa, the city’s first post-handover leader who has not made any public appearances since July 2021 over health concerns, did not attend.
It was the first handover anniversary since 2020 without any pandemic rules and social-distancing restrictions, which previously included a ban on gatherings.
Former Democratic Party lawmaker Fred Li Wah-ming called it a “pity” that he was the only member of the opposition invited to the event.
“The handover is something to be celebrated and people of different views should be invited,” he said. “I hope authorities can be more inclusive.”
On Lee’s warning over “soft resistance”, Starry Lee Wai-king, the city’s sole representative to the National People’s Congress Standing Committee, the country’s top legislative body, called on residents to reflect their views in lawful, pragmatic and rational ways.
On Saturday morning, security was ramped up around Victoria Park in Causeway Bay where a full day of exhibitions on the cultures of Chinese provinces was taking place. The park used to be the starting point for massive July 1 marches held annually by opposition groups in previous years.
More than a dozen officers guarded park entrances at Tin Hau and Causeway Bay, with at least six police vans in the vicinity, including an armoured vehicle and tactical bus.
An elderly man, who told local media his name was Ng, briefly showed up outside the Sogo department store in Causeway Bay at around 4pm with a small sign that said: “Abolish the national security law and release political prisoners.”
Police officers escorted 87-year-old Ng to Causeway Bay MTR station after he told reporters he had been a regular participant in previous July 1 protests.
In Admiralty, security guards at a government building found three charred flags in an outdoor corridor after 5pm. Police said two were the national flag and the other “a Communist Party flag”. Investigations into the arson case are under way, and no arrests have been made.
Mainland tourists and local shoppers were out in force in Causeway Bay.
Some expressed excitement at seeing the Victoria Park exhibitions, which showcased Chinese culture, traditions and new technological inventions.
“I took my daughter here to feel and learn about Chinese culture in the distant past,” said Joyce Tsang, who queued up at a booth so her eight year-old child could get make-up and be dressed in traditional clothing.
Citywide celebrations spearheaded by the government and pro-Beijing groups were also held featuring, among others, free tram and ferry rides as well as entry to museums. The Hong Kong Jockey Club also staged its Reunification Raceday at Sha Tin racecourse.
No opposition groups sought approval to host rallies on Saturday.
Civil Human Rights Front, organiser of the annual July 1 march in pre-pandemic years, disbanded in August 2021, a year after Beijing’s imposition of the national security law.
Lau Siu-kai, a consultant of semi-official think tank the Chinese Association of Hong Kong and Macau Studies, said he expected Lee would be under greater pressure in his second year of office as Beijing and residents would hope to see his administration solve deep-seated problems, such as poverty and housing woes, as soon as possible.
But he argued it might be a tough road ahead, saying there was a “mismatch” between the government’s capabilities and residents’ aspirations.
“Even though the political atmosphere has improved now, all these socio-economic problems have worsened following the pandemic and the external environment is also very unfavourable to the city’s economy,” Lau said.
“Lee has to demonstrate that he is at least on the track in tackling the problems.”
