During the ceremony of the 20th anniversary of the handover of Macau in 2019, Lam was spotted not clapping and not singing during a group sing-along of the patriotic song "Ode to the Motherland" led by Chinese President and General Secretary of the Communist Party Xi Jinping. This was seen as a silent act of support for Hong Kong's pro democracy movement and protest against China's disregard of Sino-British Joint Declaration. Some editorials have compared Lam's behavior to August Landmesser's refusal to perform the Nazi salute with fellow workers during the reign of Nazi Germany.