Leader Carrie Lam calls on Hongkongers to uphold the country’s interests as 60,000 mainlanders pour into the city on a new rail line, but dissenters take to the streets to test the limits of a recent crackdown on separatism
Hong Kong has marked China’s National Day with official celebrations, protests challenging a government crackdown on independence advocacy, and a surge of visitors from across the border using the new, high-speed rail service.
The city’s leader also took the opportunity to call on Hongkongers to uphold the country’s “sovereignty, security and development interests”.
Addressing a 4,000-strong gathering of business and political leaders at the annual National Day reception on Monday morning, Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor thanked Beijing for supporting her administration’s work in policy areas such as youth development, regional integration, innovation and technology, and trade and commerce.
Speaking a week after the city’s security minister outlawed the pro-independence Hong Kong National Party in an unprecedented ban, Lam did not specifically mention the issue of separatism.
But she said Beijing’s support in recent years had “created new areas of growth” for Hong Kong’s economy, opened up an even larger market for professional services, and provided more career opportunities for local youths.
Highlighting the “one country, two systems” policy under which Hong Kong enjoys significant autonomy from Beijing, Lam alluded to President Xi Jinping’s speech in the city on July 1 last year as she likened the concept of one country to the roots of a tree.
For a tree to grow and be luxuriant, its roots must run deep and strong,” she said, noting the governing formula was adopted “first and foremost to realise and uphold national unity”.
“Today, as we celebrate National Day, let us not forget the original spirit of ‘one country, two systems’ but bear in mind the mission of upholding our country’s sovereignty, security and development interests,” Lam continued.
