China’s Xi backs Hong Kong leader after deadly fire and Jimmy Lai verdict
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Hong Kong's leader John Lee said he explicitly reported Jimmy Lai's conviction to Chinese President Xi Jinping.
PHOTO: REUTERS
BEIJING – Chinese President Xi Jinping has expressed full support for Hong Kong’s leader John Lee, praising his administration’s performance after a year defined by a deadly fire, a financial turnaround and the conviction of the city’s top national security target.
During Mr Lee’s annual duty visit to Beijing on Dec 16, Mr Xi said the central government “fully affirms” his work in safeguarding national sovereignty and steering the semi-autonomous financial hub “from order to prosperity”.
“The government has resolutely safeguarded national sovereignty, security and development interests,” Mr Xi said, according to the official Xinhua News Agency.
The endorsement follows the guilty verdict on Dec 15 for former media mogul Jimmy Lai, who backed a pro-democracy movement seen as challenging the Communist Party’s rule in the former British colony.
Speaking to reporters in Beijing after the meeting, Mr Lee said he explicitly reported the conviction to Mr Xi.
Mr Xi offered “strong recognition” of the city’s efforts and extended his support to Mr Lee’s administration and the judiciary in their duty to safeguard national security, according to the Hong Kong leader.
Lai, 78, is the most prominent target of a Beijing-imposed National Security Law to curb dissent following mass protests in 2019.
Western governments have condemned the trial as politically motivated and called for his release. Hong Kong has defended the verdict and decried attempts to interfere in its affairs.
Beyond security, Mr Xi highlighted the “steady” growth of the city’s economy.
He urged Hong Kong to “proactively align” with China’s upcoming 15th Five-Year Plan and deepen its role in the Greater Bay Area, which looks to meld Hong Kong, Macau and several mainland cities into an innovation hub to rival the San Francisco Bay Area.
Hong Kong has seen its shine as the financial centre return in 2025, with share sales jumping, making it the No. 1 fund-raising spot in Asia for the first time since 2013, ranking just behind the US globally.
The talks also addressed the Tai Po fire that killed at least 160 people in November.
Mr Xi expressed deep condolences and voiced support for the local government’s efforts to assist disaster victims and pursue accountability, Mr Lee said. BLOOMBERG
