On July 1st, the Hong Kong authorities held a flag-raising ceremony and a banquet to celebrate the 28th anniversary of Hong Kong's return to China. However, under the overriding premise of safeguarding national security, the flag-raising ceremony continued to be held without a public audience, prohibiting citizens from attending.
The flag-raising ceremony took place at 8 a.m. at Golden Bauhinia Square in Wan Chai, attended by Chief Executive John Lee, senior government officials, members of the Executive Council, former Chief Executives Donald Tsang, Leung Chun-ying, Carrie Lam, as well as people from various sectors of society.
This year, as in previous years, there were no public seats at the flag-raising ceremony, and security around Golden Bauhinia Square was tight, with a large number of police officers on guard. The police also deployed armored vehicles, reflecting the government's prioritization of security and stability above all else.
Since Hong Kong's return to China, the Hong Kong government has held a flag-raising ceremony at Golden Bauhinia Square every July 1st. In addition to senior government officials, select members of the public are also invited by the authorities to attend.
After the flag-raising ceremony concluded in the morning of the 1st, the government held a banquet at the nearby Convention and Exhibition Centre. During his speech, John Lee reviewed the government's achievements over the past three years.
He stated that in the past three years, the current administration has promoted reforms, established a safe and stable Hong Kong, and at the same time developed the economy and improved people's livelihoods, which have gradually yielded results. He also said that since taking office, the government culture has changed, establishing a results-oriented administration that has fulfilled the constitutional responsibility of completing local legislation for Article 23 of the Basic Law.
In addition, to celebrate the 28th anniversary of Hong Kong's return to China and to boost local consumption, today the authorities have joined with 4,000 restaurants and retail shops to offer a "71% of original price" discount; the MTR Corporation is also giving away 71,000 free single-ride tickets, valid within six months.