Xi defends his Hong Kong model on 25th anniversary of his return to China

Shirley Lau

Beijing, Jul 1 Tight security, road closures, torrential rain and a whirlwind visit by Xi Jinping characterized life in Hong Kong over the past 48 hours, as the former British colony celebrated the 25th anniversary of its handover to China today.

On July 1, which also marked Hong Kong’s halfway point under Beijing’s 50-year promise to uphold its liberal freedoms after the handover, Hong Kongers woke up to Chinese President Xi’s assurance that the model of government of ‘one country, two systems’ would not change.

At around 10:15 a.m. local time (02:15 GMT), Xi, his entourage and Hong Kong’s pro-Beijing elite gathered at the large Convention and Exhibition Center in Wan Chai to witness the inauguration of the city’s new leader, John Lee.

Delivering his speech, Xi said “one country, two systems,” a constitutional principle formulated by communist-ruled China to rule Hong Kong after 1997, succeeded under China’s “comprehensive jurisdiction.”

“This is a good system, there is no reason to change it. You have to keep it long term,” she said.

The Chinese leader also praised the Asian financial city for its “freedom” and “world-class business environment,” stressing that the “patriots rule Hong Kong” principle should be upheld and Hong Kong’s “unique position and advantages” maintained. the city.

A NEW LEADER TO STRENGTHEN BEIJING’S PRESENCE

During the ceremony, Lee, who won 99 percent of the votes in May’s small-scale elections to become the city’s new chief executive, was sworn in along with his cabinet and new Executive Council members.

A former police officer and security minister sanctioned by the US for allegedly “undermining Hong Kong’s autonomy,” Lee vowed to “precisely implement the ‘one country, two systems’ principle.”

Speaking in Mandarin, the official language of mainland China, the 64-year-old new leader assured “safeguard the sovereignty, national security and development interests of our country, and ensure Hong Kong’s long-term prosperity and stability.”

Two hours earlier, Lee and Hong Kong’s outgoing CEO Carrie Lam watched a flag-raising ceremony to mark the handover before more than 200 guests.

VISIT WITH STRONG SECURITY MEASURES

COVID-19 concerns were heightened by the visit by Xi, who as of Thursday had not set foot outside mainland China since the pandemic broke out in China in January 2020.

Speculation abounded in recent months as to whether Xi would travel to Hong Kong to attend today’s ceremony, but it was not until last Saturday that his visit was confirmed by the Xinhua news agency.

Security in various parts of Hong Kong was tightened before Xi’s arrival, with roads and walkways closed and hydraulic barriers placed in areas through which the president passed.

For the first time, authorities invoked the recently enacted Small Unmanned Aircraft Law to ban drones in Hong Kong on June 30 and July 1.

FROM CROWDED STREETS TO EMPTY PANORAMICS

Compared to previous years, when tens of thousands of Hong Kongers took to the streets every July 1 in an annual march to chant pro-democracy slogans and express grievances to the government, there was no sign of activism this year.

Earlier this week, the League of Social Democrats political group, one of Hong Kong’s remaining pro-democracy groups, announced it would not hold a protest after some of its members were summoned by police.

Journalists from numerous local and international media outlets were unable to cover the opening ceremony today, in contrast to 25 years ago, when hundreds of reporters from around the world attended the handover and took home gifts such as photographic films and books offered by the Hong Kong government. EFE

(photo) ((audio) video)

gbm/si

---

Source