Chinese leader Xi Jinping arrives at a swearing-in ceremony for Hong Kong's new Chief Executive John Lee, left, in Hong Kong on Friday, July 1. (Justin Chin/Bloomberg/Getty Images)
Former security chief and hardline police officer John Lee has been sworn in as Hong Kong's new Chief Executive by Chinese leader Xi Jinping.
Lee was selected from a largely government-appointed, pro-Beijing committee of 1,461 people to be the next leader for the city's 7.5 million residents in May.
He was the only person in the running, in contrast to previous years that saw run-offs between multiple candidates.
Lee, who begins his five-year term on Friday, has promised to usher in a "new chapter together," stressing the importance of community and promising to "make Hong Kong a place of hope."
10:17 p.m. ET, June 30, 2022
Xi Jinping kicks off Hong Kong handover anniversary ceremony
Chinese leader Xi Jinping and his wife Peng Liyuan arrived for the start of the 25th handover ceremony at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre on Friday to a brass band playing the Chinese national anthem.
Xi will oversee the inauguration of Hong Kong's new Chief Executive John Lee today.
10:03 p.m. ET, June 30, 2022
China has thrown a media shield around Xi's visit to Hong Kong
From CNN's Kathleen Magramo in Hong Kong
Journalists wait at a media position outside the Hong Kong West Kowloon railway station, before the 25th anniversary of the former British colony's handover to Chinese rule, in Hong Kong on June 30. (Paul Yeung/Reuters)
Journalists from leading international media organizations, including Reuters and CNN, have been barred from covering official ceremonies during Chinese leader Xi Jinping's visit to Hong Kong.
According to the Hong Kong Journalists Association (HKJA), at least 10 reporters working for local and international organizations had their applications to cover the events rejected for "security reasons."
"With media unable to send journalists on the ground, the HKJA expresses utmost regret over the rigid reporting arrangements made by the authorities for such a major event," the press group said on Tuesday.
Reuters, Agence France-Press (AFP), and the Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post were among the outlets whose reporters were blocked from covering the ceremonies, according to the HKJA.
CNN has contacted the media companies for comment. A spokesperson for the Hong Kong government said authorities were striking "a balance as far as possible between the need of media work and security requirements."
Reuters reported that two of its journalists had been barred from covering the handover ceremony and inauguration of incoming Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee. It cited a Reuters spokeswoman as saying the news agency was seeking further information on the matter.
CNN's application to attend the events was also rejected.
"The government told CNN the police rejected the application but refused to elaborate," a company spokesperson said. "CNN is disappointed not to attend official events but will continue to report on the visit by Chinese President Xi Jinping." The spokesperson said the Hong Kong government had told CNN that "it would not comment on the accreditation outcome of individual organizations and persons."
Journalists who had their applications denied would not be able to cover the national flag raising ceremony and the swearing in of Lee, the city's new leader and former security chief.
The government's Information Services Department issued invitations to news organizations on June 16, allowing only one journalist per outlet to cover each event.
Covid measures: Each media representative was required to conduct daily PCR tests starting June 26 — before official approval or rejections were issued on June 28 — and to go into hotel quarantine on June 29 as part of coronavirus-related prevention measures.
Chinese leader Xi Jinping arrives in Hong Kong for handover anniversary
From CNN's Jadyn Sham in Hong Kong
Chinese leader Xi Jinping has arrived in Hong Kong for the second day of events marking the city's 25th handover anniversary and the swearing in of its new Beijing-appointed leader, former security chief and police officer John Lee.
Xi's motorcade was seen on Friday by a CNN team on the ground after having crossed the city's border with mainland China,indicating he did not stay the night in Hong Kong.
The Chinese leader is expected to attend the swearing in of the new Chief Executive and make a speech during the inauguration ceremony on Friday.
Tight security measures for Xi's visit include a heavy police presence, roadblocks and a ban on drones. He is also separated from the public by a "closed loop" system — designed to protect him against Covid-19.
This visit to Hong Kong marks Xi’s first trip outside mainland China since the start of the pandemic.
9:48 p.m. ET, June 30, 2022
Beijing supporter says Hong Kong needs mainland China's help "to get things running again"
From CNN's Kathleen Magramo in Hong Kong
Roads, jogging paths and pedestrian bridges around the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre were closed ahead of ceremonies to mark the city's 25th handover anniversary on July 1, 2022. (Kathleen Magramo/CNN)
Hong Kong woke to dark skies on July 1, as Typhoon Chaba edged closer to the city, dimming the already muted tone for the 25th handover anniversary brought by heightened security and Covid-19 restrictions.
No signs of coordinated gatherings were seen at the Tamar Park harborfront, adjacent to the Hong Kong government's offices on Friday morning — a stark contrast to the lively pro-democracy protests on this day of years gone by.
About a dozen joggers ran along the waterfront, occasionally stopping to take photos of the police marine vessels dotting the the harbor.
Police vessels patrol Hong Kong’s Victoria Harbor ahead of the flag raising ceremony on July 1. (Kathleen Magramo/CNN)
A trio of photography enthusiasts came to watch the police vessels and helicopters that held guard over Hong Kong during the flag raising ceremony.
“There’s really nothing to celebrate. The whole ceremony is highly guarded and the public isn’t invited anyway, just like how [the government] doesn’t want ordinary people to join political discussions anymore,” said one man, surnamed Tse, in his 20s.
A handful of Beijing's supporters were also at the park.
Paul Choi waves the national flag of China, hopeful the new administration would bring stability to Hong Kong as the city marked its 25th year of Chinese rule on July 1. (Kathleen Magramo/CNN)
Paul Choi waved the national flag of China alongside two others, who had donned face masks with the print of the flag.
“We hope that the next Chief Executive, John Lee, will make the Hong Kong government stable again,” said Choi, who runs a volunteer association in the neighborhood. “The economy and people's livelihoods should be restored, and we need the help of mainland China to get things running again.”
9:40 p.m. ET, June 30, 2022
No protests are expected in Hong Kong today. Here's why
From CNN's Kathleen Magramo, Hannah Ritchie and Eric Cheung
Police and mine clearance officers wait outside an X-ray baggage screening near the exhibition center in Hong Kong's Wan Chai district for the 25th anniversary on June 29. (Emmanuel Serna/SOPA Images/Sipa USA/AP)
No applications have been made by pro-democracy organizations to stage peaceful protests during Chinese leader Xi Jinping's visit to Hong Kong, according to the city's police.
"Police will not tolerate any acts of violence or public disorder and will not tolerate anything that may interfere and undermine the security operation," Hong Kong’s Assistant Police Commissioner Lui Kam-ho told a news conference on Tuesday.
He added that "resolute actions" would be taken against anyone who threatens "public order."
National security law: Most Hong Kong pro-democracy groups have disbanded following the enactment of the city's sweeping national security law two years ago. A subsequent crackdown saw nearly all of Hong Kong's leading pro-democracy figures, including activists and politicians, either jailed or forced into exile.
The controversial law was passed by Beijing on June 30, 2020, following a year of mass anti-government protests in Hong Kong. It criminalizes acts of secession, subversion, terrorism and collusion with foreign forces to endanger national security — with a maximum sentence of life imprisonment for all four.
Critics of the legislation say it has been used to silence all dissent against the Hong Kong government, which has repeatedly defended the law, saying it has restored order to the city following the 2019 protests.
No protests: The League of Social Democrats, a pro-democracy political party in Hong Kong, said Tuesday it would not stage any protests as the city marks the 25th anniversary of the handover to Chinese rule.
"Today, some volunteers and friends of the League of Social Democrats were invited to meet with national security police. After assessing the situation, we will not stage any protest activities on July 1," said Chan Po-ying, the party's chairwoman. "The situation is difficult, and please accept our apologies."
Some context: The League of Social Democrats has staged a number of small protests since the national security law came into effect. On June 4 this year, the anniversary of the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre in Beijing, three members of the party briefly staged a demonstration in Hong Kong before they were arrested by police.
9:18 p.m. ET, June 30, 2022
US Secretary of State slams "dismantling" of freedoms in Hong Kong
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has criticized the "dismantling" of freedoms in Hong Kong, as the city marks its 25th anniversary of Hong Kong's 1997 handover from Britain to Chinese rule.
"This date was envisioned as the halfway point of 50 years of promised autonomy under the 'one country, two systems' framework. Yet it is now evident that Hong Kong and Beijing authorities no longer view democratic participation, fundamental freedoms, and an independent media as part of this vision," he said.
Blinken said the law "set the stage for an erosion of autonomy and dismantling of the rights and freedoms of Hong Kong residents over the last two years."
"Authorities have jailed the opposition, with many imprisoned for more than a year. Hong Kong’s leaders have raided independent media organizations, shuttered museums and removed public works of art, weakened democratic institutions, delayed elections, prevented vigils, disqualified sitting lawmakers, and instituted loyalty oaths," he said. "Government officials have spread disinformation that grassroots protests were the work of foreign actors. They have done all of this in an effort to deprive Hong Kongers of what they have been promised. "We stand in solidarity with people in Hong Kong and reinforce their calls for their promised freedoms to be reinstated."
The Hong Kong government has repeatedly denied the national security law is suppressing freedoms. Instead, it insists the law has ended chaos and restored stability to the city.
9:37 p.m. ET, June 30, 2022
On this day 3 years ago, Hong Kong protesters stormed the city's legislature
From CNN staff
Demonstrators push a metal cart into a window into the Legislative Council building during a protest in Hong Kong, on Monday, July 1, 2019. (Eduardo Leal/Bloomberg/Getty Images)
Before the pandemic and the enactment of the national security law in 2020, July 1 — the anniversary of Hong Kong's handover from British to Chinese rule — was traditionally marked by pro-democracy marches.
On this day three years ago, turnout was boosted by anger over a proposed law that would have allowed extradition from the city to China, which brought hundreds of thousands of Hong Kongers into the streets, eventually forcing the government to suspend the bill.
Critics feared the law could be used to seize government critics and send them across the border to face trial in a system with a 99% conviction rate and a history of political prosecutions.
Before the main march got underway on July 1, 2019, a small, breakaway group of protesters — many of them in their teens and 20s and wearing masks, helmets and other protective gear — surrounded the Legislative Council complex.
Using makeshift battering rams and metal bars to smash through reinforced glass, members of the group forced their way into LegCo, where they daubed anti-extradition bill slogans on the walls, smashed the interior and draped the territory's former colonial flag across the main chamber's central podium.
Police did not act as protesters attacked the building or stormed inside, and hundreds were able to remain in the legislature for up to three hours, before word of an imminent clearance operation brought them back onto the streets.
Within minutes of protesters taking a collective decision to exit the building police fired tear gas and used baton charges to disperse the crowd.
The next day, Hong Kong's then leader Carrie Lam condemned the protesters' actions, saying they had used "extreme ... violence and vandalism."
The Chinese government's reaction was similarly critical. A spokesman for the State Council's Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office said the "radical" demonstrations had been an "open challenge" to the city's system of governance.
"This kind of severe illegal action damages Hong Kong's rule of law, social order and hurts Hong Kong's fundamental interests," the statement said, adding that Beijing was fully behind the city's police force.
How it's viewed today: The storming of LegCo marked a turning point in the protest movement and China's view of it. Exactly a year later, Beijing bypassed the city's legislature to impose the national security law on the city, which critics say, has been used to crush the city's opposition movement, overhaul its electoral system, silence its outspoken media and cripple its once-vibrant civil society.
10:25 p.m. ET, June 30, 2022
Hong Kong leaders attend July 1 flag raising ceremony ... but no sign of Xi yet
People watch as helicopters and an aircraft fly past during a flag raising ceremony to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the city's handover from Britain to China, in Hong Kong on July 1. (Dale de la Rey/AFP/Getty Images)
Chinese leader Xi Jinping did not attend a flag raising ceremony in Hong Kong on Friday morning, one of the rituals marking the 25th anniversary of the city's handover to Chinese rule.
The Chinese flag was hoisted alongside the Hong Kong flag at the Wan Chai Convention Center, which overlooks the city's harbor. The flags were raised as helicopters performed a flyby, also trailing the banners behind them.
Xi's whereabouts have been heavily guarded and a detailed itinerary of his visit has not been released. The security in the city is at unprecedented levels and includes a heavy police presence, roadblocks and a ban on drones.
Xi is also separated from the public by a "closed loop" system — designed to protect him against Covid-19.
In attendance was outgoing Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam and John Lee, who will be sworn in as the city's new leader later on Friday.
Selected guests: In recent years, some members of the public and press have been able to attend the ceremony but this year security has been strictly controlled.
Journalists from leading international media organizations, including Reuters and CNN, have been barred from covering official ceremonies during Xi's visit.
