Xi Jinping Praises Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee, Signaling Darker Days Ahead for Democracy

By Tahir Imin Uyghurian @uyghurian

Beijing, Dec. 13 Chinese Communist Party (CCP) General Secretary Xi Jinping met with Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Chief Executive John Lee on the afternoon of Dec. 13 at Yingtai in Zhongnanhai, Beijing, praising him for his administration’s work in completing the Article 23 legislation of the city’s national security law and “further strengthening Hong Kong’s positive momentum of stability and development.”

Xinhua reported, “Xi Jinping stated that over the past year, Chief Executive John Lee has led the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government with a sense of responsibility, pragmatism, and determination. Under his leadership, the historic legislation of Article 23 of the Basic Law was completed. The government has focused on boosting the economy, driving development, addressing key livelihood issues such as housing and healthcare, strengthening external exchanges and cooperation, and continuously enhancing Hong Kong’s international influence. These efforts have further consolidated the positive momentum of stability and development in Hong Kong. The central government fully affirms the work of Chief Executive John Lee and the HKSAR government.”

Since the CCP took over Hong Kong in 1997, the city’s democracy has steadily weakened despite the regime’s earlier promises to uphold the “one country, two systems” framework and the rule of law. John Lee, the sole candidate approved by Beijing for the 2022 Hong Kong Chief Executive election, succeeded Carrie Lam and took office on July 1, 2022, in the presence of Xi Jinping.

Since then, Lee has overseen sweeping changes to Hong Kong’s democratic system, cracking down on democracy and human rights activists. In November, 45 pro-democracy activists were sentenced to prison in the city’s largest national security trial. Benny Tai, the organizer of a primary election central to the case, received a 10-year prison sentence — the longest so far under the national security law imposed by Beijing in 2020.

Xi Jinping’s public support for Hong Kong’s leader signals that democracy in the city is likely to face further erosion in the days ahead.