Xi Jinping Visits Hong Kong for 1st Time Since Pandemic for Handover Anniversary

25 years ago, Hong Kong formally became fully independent of British rule.

Xi jingping.

(Photo: Twitter/@nathanlawkc)

Chinese President Xi Jinping travelled to Hong Kong on his first trip outside Mainland China since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic on Thursday, 30 June, for the inauguration of Hong Kong's new chief executive, and to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the British handing over Hong Kong to China.

He arrived at West Kowloon Station in Hong Kong by high-speed train, along with his wife, Peng Liyuan, and Chinese delegates.

1 July 2022 marks the 25th anniversary of when the British returned Hong Kong to China in 1997. Mainland China and Hong Kong were supposed to operate under a "one country, two systems" policy, and the people of Hong Kong given freedom of the press, assembly, and speech, which was not permitted on the mainland. According to The Guardian, "As the city of 7.4 million people marks a quarter of a century under Beijing’s rule, those promises have all but evaporated."

Anticipating backlash from the public, officials from the Beijing-backed Hong Kong government have tightened security, closing metro stations near the convention centre and re-routing buses.

Nearby harbours and other such areas may also impose temporary restricted flying zones.

The convention centre erected large barriers around the building, establishing a strict two-level secure zone. Additionally, local and foreign news outlets and civilians will not have access to the event, with authorities citing the pandemic.

No Sign of Protests So Far

According to The Guardian, "On Tuesday, some approved outlets said individual journalists had since been denied access, too late to have a replacement obtain the requisite several days of negative (COVID-19) tests."

Members of one of the last few remaining pro-democracy groups in Hong Kong said that they would not be staging a protest as many of them were summoned by the Hong Kong Police. There have been no other signs of protest or dissent so far.

The president was greeted all throughout Hong Kong with great pageantry – according to The Guardian, "Xi’s red carpet arrival included a brass band, traditional 'lion' dances, and vetted crowds chanting and waving flags…On Wednesday hundreds of Hong Kong’s distinctive red taxis adorned with red Chinese flags and red celebratory banners parked in the shape of the number '25' in the city’s Central district."

"Across the harbour in Kowloon, hundreds of Chinese and Hong Kong flags fluttered from the balcony railings of two housing estates, each dozens of storeys high," according to the publication.

(With inputs from Reuters and The Guardian.)