Reviving Hong Kong is top priority

Hong Kong's Chief Executive John Lee (top C) delivers his first policy address at the government headquarters in Hong Kong on October 19, 2022. (Photo by Peter PARKS / AFP)

Making his first policy address, Hong Kong chief executive John Lee prioritised improving competitiveness and attracting more overseas talent, while also stressing the need to bolster national security in the Chinese ruled city.

While some Western governments, including the United States, have said the erosion of rights and freedoms has hurt Hong Kong’s business climate and exacerbated a brain drain, Lee pledged to tighten control, referencing Chinese President Xi Jinping’s directives for the city in a speech at the start of a major party congress in Beijing.