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With simply 4 days to go earlier than the twenty fifth anniversary of Hong Kong’s handover to Chinese language rule, there may be nonetheless quite a lot of uncertainty over whether or not Chinese language President Xi Jinping will probably be coming to the town amid a rising variety of Covid-19 outbreaks.
China’s state-run Xinhua Information Company reported on Saturday that Xi “will attend a gathering celebrating the twenty fifth anniversary of Hong Kong’s return to the motherland.”
Nonetheless, it didn’t state explicitly that the Chinese language chief will go to the town, which it did 5 years in the past when Xi got here to Hong Kong from June 29 to July 1 for Hong Kong’s twentieth anniversary and incumbent Chief Govt Carrie Lam’s inauguration.
The Hong Kong authorities has additionally not but clarified whether or not he will probably be attending the celebrations in individual.
Talking on a Business Radio program on Monday, Tam Yiu-chung, Hong Kong’s sole deputy to the Nationwide Folks’s Congress Standing Committee, stated he wouldn’t assess or speculate on the possibilities of Xi visiting Hong Kong in individual on July 1, the day Chief Govt-elect John Lee takes workplace.
Tam stated he believed that the main points, together with the particular itinerary and whether or not Xi will keep in a single day in Hong Kong, will probably be formally introduced in two or three days.
In the meantime, Ip Kwok-him, a deputy to the Nationwide Folks’s Congress, stated on an RTHK program on Monday that he believed Xi would very doubtless come to Hong Kong to take part within the celebrations.
But when the town sees a sudden surge in Covid-19 infections, he stated it’s doubtless Xi would ship his speech on-line.
Ip additionally stated the Chinese language chief would solely keep in Hong Kong for a brief interval.
“The itinerary is not going to be like 5 years in the past… when [Xi was here] for such an extended interval,” he stated.
He added that many handover celebration actions have been canceled.
Ip additionally stated that if Xi doesn’t are available in individual, he believed there could be different officers coming to officiate the swearing-in.
The professional-government Sing Tao Daily reported on Monday that Xi would come to the town on June 30 and July 1, however wouldn’t keep in a single day in Hong Kong and return to Shenzhen as a substitute.
A Chinese language president has inaugurated each Hong Kong chief government because the return of Hong Kong to China in 1997.
Two senior officers’ check outcomes flip adverse
Individually, Chief Secretary-designate Eric Chan informed the media each he and Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Erick Tsang had examined adverse through fast antigen testing (RAT).
Chan additionally stated he didn’t have any signs anymore.
The federal government introduced final Thursday that Chan, who’s at present the director of the Chief Govt’s Workplace, and Tsang tested positive for Covid-19 via PCR testing.
In keeping with present tips, in the event that they each check adverse through RAT this Wednesday and Thursday, they’ll finish their isolation.
Nonetheless, it’s unclear whether or not stricter guidelines will probably be in place for the officers because of the handover occasions.
In keeping with invites acquired by lawmakers and politicians attending the official handover ceremony, a visitor cannot attend the event if his or her relations or drivers has a optimistic PCR or RAT end result or in the event that they exhibit any signs between now and July 1.
The federal government has additionally carried out strict measures on contributors, together with requesting them to solely journey instantly between their place of residence and workplaces from now to June 29 and isolate themselves in a lodge room on June 30.
Chan stated the federal government would make the ultimate determination on whether or not the pair can attend the swearing-in ceremony.
Hong Kong has been recording near 2,000 every day coronavirus instances lately.
Gloomy climate
In the meantime, poor climate is predicted within the metropolis throughout the handover celebration interval.
In keeping with the Hong Kong Observatory, a broad space of low strain over the central a part of the South China Sea is predicted to develop right into a tropical cyclone step by step midweek this week and its depth and motion stay unsure.
“However underneath the affect of its related outer rainbands, the climate over the northern a part of the South China Sea and the coast of southern China will deteriorate step by step within the latter a part of this week, winds will strengthen step by step and there will probably be squally showers and thunderstorms,” its web site reads.
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