"Xi Jinping goes directly to Hong Kong, but visits on a day trip"

Chinese President Xi Jinping is expected to attend the 25th anniversary of the return of Hong Kong's sovereignty to Hong Kong on July 1. .

The Hong Kong daily South China Morning Post, citing two mainland Chinese sources involved in the preparation of the event, said that it is highly likely that President Xi will attend the ceremony in person despite the spread of COVID-19 in Hong Kong.

"For now, the goal of guaranteeing President Xi's trip to Hong Kong to celebrate the event remains the same," a Beijing source said. "We are working closely with the Hong Kong side."

Another source, however, said Xi would not stay overnight in Hong Kong.

Earlier, the state news agency Xinhua reported that "President Xi Jinping will attend the 25th anniversary of the return of Hong Kong's sovereignty and the launch of the 6th Hong Kong Special Administrative Region."

If President Xi actually goes to Hong Kong, it will be his first visit outside of mainland China in two years and six months since January 2020, when the COVID-19 virus spread in earnest in China.