Xi Jinping endorses Hong Kong’s elections
The Hindu
‘Patriots only’ polls held under Carrie Lam’s watch get Xi’s stamp of approval
China’s President Xi Jinping on Wednesday gave a strong endorsement to both Hong Kong’s current Chief Executive, Carrie Lam, and its recently held “patriots only” elections, which saw a record low turnout and no participation by most of the pro-democracy Opposition candidates.
Ms. Lam, who faced widespread criticism in Hong Kong over her administration’s handling of the 2019 pro-democracy protests, met Mr. Xi in Beijing, in what was his first face-to-face meeting with a senior official from outside the Chinese mainland since February last year, according to the Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post.
Mr. Xi has not left China since a visit to Myanmar in mid-January 2020, days before the lockdown of Wuhan where the COVID-19 pandemic began.