When Chinese President Xi Jinping travels to Hong Kong to mark the 25th anniversary of his extradition from Britain, he arrives in a city that has undergone a major transformation when millions took to the streets three years ago as the biggest challenge to Beijing’s rule.
Mr. Ji’s ruling Communist Party overcame that challenge by tightening its grip. Authorities in riot gear stormed a rally on Friday, removing hundreds of protesters by truck.
John P. Snyder, special professor of politics at the University of Hong Kong. Burns said: “This is a significant journey for him.
On Friday, Mr. C appointed a former security officer who was elected the next mayor of the city. He had previously met with elected lawmakers after Beijing’s electoral reform confirmed that only “patriots” could take office in Hong Kong.
“Political power must be in the hands of the patriots,” he said. G said in a speech on Friday after overseeing the inauguration of the new government. “No country or region in the world will allow unpatriotic or treacherous or treacherous forces and personalities to seize power.”
Hong Kong and Chinese officials attended a brief ceremony on Friday morning, where a police honorary guard hoisted Chinese and Hong Kong flags to mark the anniversary. Strong winds blew, the sky was overcast and rain was threatening. When the ceremony took place at 8 a.m., a government helicopter with a large Chinese flag, followed by another helicopter with a small Hong Kong flag, flew over the port of Victoria, following which the fire department boat sprayed water from its pipes.
But luxury and ceremony were in stark contrast to the relatively quiet state of the streets in the presence of a pronounced security. Police teams patrolled the area near the venue, and police vans lined up at the entrances to several subway stations. To many of the residents of Hong Kong, the handover anniversary and Mr. Xi’s visit was not of much importance except for a day off.
“The federal government does not have to do much for Hong Kong. Let Hong Kong fix itself. Isn’t this a free economy? It’s not under much rule before, ”said 33-year-old interior design contractor Jason Quak, who had breakfast in Wanchai district. “It simply came to our notice then. I’m glad I did not have to go to work today.
Mr. Xi’s visit is aimed at strengthening Beijing’s rule over Hong Kong’s 7.5 million people, and against Western governments that have condemned his repression. The United States, Britain and other countries have accused China of violating its promises to allow Hong Kong to defend its individual rights for 50 years under the one-country, two-party arrangement.
The subjugation of Hong Kong by Mr. Shik also has personal significance. This will help burn his position among the elites of the Communist Party at a crucial moment as he continues his third five-year term.
“He can be expected to highlight the success of one country and two organizations at the party conference in October,” said Hong Kong political commentator Sonny Lo.
For local activists, July 1 is the anniversary of major demonstrations. But the combination of epidemic controls and political repression has largely eliminated such crowds. The League of Social Democrats, a left-wing group, continued to mark significant dates with small demonstrations of four people, which is technically permissible under the rules of social exclusion.
But after the visits of the National Security Police, the group announced that it would not hold a protest on Friday this week. Avery Ng, the group’s secretary general, said members of the group were under constant surveillance and threatened to shut down their organization if they tried to protest.
“It’s like China,” he said.
