Xi Jinping praises Hong Kong's governance under Beijing's authority
Sylvie Claire / July 1, 2022
Chinese President Xi Jinping praised Friday the governance of Hong Kong since its retrocession to Beijing, which he celebrated the 25th anniversary, hailing a true democracy, despite the repression conducted for two years.
In a ceremony that also included the swearing-in of the new local chief executive, Xi Jinping was able to underscore the Chinese Communist Party's stranglehold on the city after a wave of pro-democracy protests engulfed the city in 2019, prompting Beijing to impose a strict political crackdown.
In his speech, Xi Jiping assured that Beijing had always acted for the good of Hong Kong.
After the reunification with the motherland, the people of Hong Kong became the masters of their own city, he said, assuring that true democracy had begun at that time.
The visit is the Chinese president's first trip outside mainland China since the outbreak of Covid-19. It is also the first to Hong Kong since the great pro-democracy movement of 2019.
The head of state did not participate Friday morning in the raising of the colors, where under a strong wind, the next chief executive John Lee attended the ceremony led by military at goose pace, to the sound of the national anthem.
According to local media, the Chinese president spent the night in the neighboring mainland city of Shenzhen, only to return to Hong Kong on Friday morning.
This day also marks the end of the 50-year period of semi-autonomy, guided by the one country, two systems principle, negotiated between London and Beijing.
Until 2019, July 1st was an opportunity to demonstrate the freedoms enjoyed by the city, with thousands of residents marching on the sidelines of the celebrations to express their political and social demands.
But this procession, like all gatherings, has been banned by the police for two years, officially for health and security reasons.
According to government critics, the National Security Law imposed in 2020 by Beijing after the 2019 protests has undone the promised freedoms.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Thursday deplored the erosion of autonomy caused by this law in the territory. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson promised not to abandon Hong Kong.
Criticism ignored by Xi Jinping, who on Friday hailed the principle of one country, two systems as a good
system that must be maintained in the long term.
The ceremonies are held in a closed system as a sanitary measure.
Those in Xi's orbit during his trip, including top government officials, have been asked to limit their contacts, undergo daily PCR tests, and spend the days leading up to the visit in a quarantine hotel.
Parts of the city have been closed and many journalists have been barred from planned events.
Authorities have taken steps to eliminate any potential sources of embarrassment during Xi Jinping's visit. National security police arrested at least nine people last week.
About 10 members of the League of Social Democrats (LSD), one of Hong Kong's remaining opposition political parties, were contacted by police not to demonstrate. LSD leaders told AFP that their homes had been searched.
The city is lined with posters proclaiming a new era of stability, prosperity and opportunity.
The Victoria Park soccer fields, which usually hosted pro-democracy demonstrations, are hosting an exhibition celebrating the anniversary, with a huge Chinese flag as the highlight, flanked by a smaller Hong Kong one, each occupying half a field.
Kelvin Lam, forty years old, working in finance, who came to see the exhibition, explains to AFP that he participated in the demonstrations of July 1 before 2019, but that now, the city feels different.
After what happened a few years ago, I think the priority now is safety, added another passerby, Ms. Xu, when asked about the end of the rallies.
A safe and stable life is the most important thing for ordinary people, she said.