Hong Kong leader John Lee tests positive for COVID-19 after APEC

HONG KONG: Hong Kong leader John Lee tested positive for COVID-19 on his return from an Asia-Pacific summit, the city’s government said Monday (Nov 21), days after he met Chinese president Xi Jinping and other heads of state.

Lee visited Thailand’s capital Bangkok last week to attend a meeting of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum, with his office saying he tested negative on rapid antigen tests for all four days he was there.

“The Chief Executive is undergoing quarantine in accordance with the guidelines provided by the Centre for Health Protection,” a government statement said.

The APEC summit was Lee’s first overseas trip since the pandemic began nearly three years ago, as well as his first since taking office as Hong Kong’s chief executive in July.

Lee met with China’s president Xi Jinping, Thailand’s prime minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, Singapore’s prime minister Lee Hsien Loong, Indonesia’s president Joko Widodo, Vietnam’s president Nguyen Phuc and several other senior officials at the forum.

At the informal leaders’ summit on Friday, Lee sat between Xi and Widodo, with all three unmasked.

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