Hong Kong leaders attend flag-raising ceremony marking Chinese rule

Hong Kong’s incoming and outgoing leaders have attended a flag-raising ceremony marking the 25th anniversary of the return to Chinese rule for the city pulled in recent years under much tighter Communist Party control (Magnum Chan, Pool/AP)

Hong Kong’s incoming and outgoing leaders have attended a flag-raising ceremony marking the 25th anniversary of the return to Chinese rule for the city pulled in recent years under much tighter Communist Party control.

Chinese President Xi Jinping, who is making his first trip off the mainland in two-and-a-half years, was not present at the ceremony, although he will attend an inauguration ceremony for the new government later on Friday.