Xi in Hong Kong marking 25 years since London’s retrocession

The new head of the Hong Kong Executive, John Lee, was sworn in on Friday in the presence of Chinese President Xi Jinping, visiting the city for the 25th anniversary of Hong Kong’s return to Chinese sovereignty.

in his speech Xi Junping assured that the “One country, two systems” model works and added:

“After rejoining the motherland, the people of Hong Kong became the masters of their own city and realized that the ‘people of Hong Kong administered Hong Kong’. The true democracy of Hong Kong started here.”

Although the “One country, two systems” principle allows Hong Kong to maintain up to 2,047 freedoms that do not exist in mainland China, these have been undermined, and the leaders of the massive pro-democracy protests of 2019 have been persecuted and prosecuted.

The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Boris Johnson has criticized the “erosion of rights” in the former British colony:

“We are not giving up on Hong Kong. Twenty-five years ago we made a promise to the territory and its people and we intend to keep it. Doing everything we can to make China honor its commitments, to make Hong Kong run by the people again.” of Hong Kong and for the people of Hong Kong.”

Lee will inherit some problems from her predecessor, and it remains to be seen whether she will be able to revive the economy of the former colony weighed down by internal political turmoil and the covid pandemic.

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