Hong Kong must be governed by "staunch patriots", says senior Chinese official

Hong Kong's Chief Executive Carrie Lam holds up a certificate after receiving China's Sinovac Covid-19 coronavirus vaccine at the Community Vaccination Centre in Hong Kong on February 22, 2021. - AFP

BEIJING, Feb. 22 (Xinhua): A senior Chinese official on Hong Kong affairs on Monday said the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) must be governed by "staunch patriots."

Addressing a high-level symposium on Hong Kong affairs, Xia Baolong, vice chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference and head of the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council, said patriots must meet three main sets of criteria.