State Leader Will Likely Visit On July 1: Ip Kwok-him

Executive councillor Ip Kwok-him says he believes a state leader will come to Hong Kong for the celebration of the SAR’s 25th anniversary, but it will probably be a brief visit.

Authorities have not confirmed whether any top official will travel to Hong Kong on July 1, but a number of SAR dignitaries, including Ip, have been asked to observe anti-infection measures ahead of the celebration.

Speaking on a Commercial Radio programme on Tuesday, Ip said he has to enter a “closed-loop” from Thursday, and has been advised to travel directly between home and work. He is to avoid public transport and not attend any events with a crowd, including meals or performances.

He is also going to stay in a quarantine hotel on the eve of the handover anniversary.

The Exco member said these measures are more relaxed than he had expected, but he believes they still meet the standard required for a state leader visit – which he said would carry an historic meaning this year.

“It’s the 25th year since the handover, it’s midway through the 50 years [of One Country, Two Systems], it’s meaningful. In additional, after the national security law and the reform of the electoral system, Hong Kong has moved on to a new stage,” he said.

“If a state leader can come to Hong Kong to round it up with a speech, it’d be an historic event,” Ip added.

But he said he doesn’t think the state leader will stay longer than a day and will probably not meet the public.