Chinese President Xi Jinping’s rumored visit to Hong Kong to mark the city’s 25th anniversary of Chinese rule is in doubt after top officials in the city came down with COVID-19.
Two senior members of incoming Chief Executive John Lee’s cabinet — including his No. 2 — have tested positive for the virus, the government revealed in a Thursday statement. Lee and his government are due to be sworn in on July 1, at a ceremony that the Chinese leader has been widely tipped to attend.
While Xi’s visit has never been confirmed, it’s been the practice for China’s leaders to attend the swearing in since 1997. Xi last visited five years ago when Carrie Lam became chief executive. The infections come as the city takes a more liberal approach toward the virus than the mainland since an outbreak earlier this year swept through the 7.4 million population. Hong Kong reported 1,522 new cases on Thursday, compared with 44 for the whole of mainland China.