- China’s Xi arrives in Hong Kong by bullet train
- Will swear in the city’s new leader and celebrate anniversary
- Britain and the US say China has failed to meet commitments
- Police warn of violence, disorder
- Strict security around the train station
HONG KONG, June 30 (Reuters) – Hong Kong has risen to its challenges and has “risen from the ashes,” China’s President Xi Jinping said on Thursday, arriving in the former British colony to mark 25 years since it returned under Chinese rule to celebrate.
After Xi began his first visit to the city since 2017, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said China was committed to upholding a “one country, two systems” arrangement agreed under the deal that ended British colonial rule in 1997.
Johnson said the UK would do whatever it takes to help Beijing stick to its commitments, while Blinken said: “We stand in solidarity with the people of Hong Kong and reiterate their calls for their promised freedoms to be restored.”
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On Friday, Xi will swear in the new leader of the global financial hub, John Lee, on his first known trip outside the mainland in more than two years amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Xi and his wife Peng Liyuan, wearing masks, stepped off a bullet train to be greeted by children waving flowers and waving Chinese and Hong Kong flags and chanting “Welcome, welcome, warm welcome” in Mandarin.
“Hong Kong has always withstood severe tests and overcome challenges one after another,” Xi said in a short speech. “After wind and rain, Hong Kong rose from the ashes.”
Authorities organized a lion dance celebration while a police band played. Security at the station was tight and the police carried out checks with the help of sniffer dogs.
Some analysts see Xi’s visit as a triumph after Beijing tightened its control over Hong Kong with a sweeping national security law following mass pro-democracy protests in 2019.
“It is a celebration of the central government’s victory over Hong Kong’s political opposition,” said John Burns, a professor in the Department of Politics and Public Administration at the University of Hong Kong.
Outgoing city leader Carrie Lam and her husband were among those who greeted Xi at the train station, which has not been used for two years due to COVID restrictions.
The streets were adorned with red China flags and placards proclaiming a “new era” of stability.
Xi’s full official schedule for the visit has not been released. It wasn’t immediately clear if the celebrations would be marred by an expected typhoon.
On his recent visit to Hong Kong, Xi warned against actions that could threaten China’s sovereignty and said the city needs to strengthen its national security arrangements.
Tens of thousands of protesters marched during Xi’s visit five years ago, but no protests are expected this time as the city’s security is tightened and the most outspoken opposition politicians and democracy activists are either in prison or in exile.
Beijing and Hong Kong governments say they have “restored order out of chaos” to allow the city to thrive.
China’s President Xi Jinping speaks upon his arrival by bullet train ahead of the 25th anniversary of the former British colony’s handover to Chinese rule in Hong Kong, China June 30, 2022. Selim Chtayti/Pool via REUTERS
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In a statement, Blinken said the 25th anniversary of the handover is scheduled to mark the halfway point of 50 years of promised autonomy under One Country, Two Systems.
“But it is now apparent that Hong Kong and Beijing authorities no longer see democratic participation, fundamental freedoms and independent media as part of this vision,” he said.
“Authorities have jailed opposition… raided independent media organizations… weakened democratic institutions, delayed elections,” Blinken said. “They did all this to deny Hong Kongers what they were promised.”
WARNINGS AND COVID TESTS
Lui Kam-ho, a senior police officer, warned of acts of violence or public unrest this week. Police, numbering more than 30,000, said they would provide security for the celebrations.
Police cordoned off parts of Hong Kong, blocking roads and enforcing a no-fly zone over Victoria Harbour.
Resident Karis Ho, 31, said the security measures were an inconvenience to the public and “made Xi seem touchy”.
Angel Chau, 62, was excited.
“It shows how much he appreciates Hong Kong,” Chau said.
Members of the pro-democracy League of Social Democrats said they would scrap plans for demonstrations after national security officials warned them not to protest during Xi’s visit.
New leader Lee, a former police officer whom Washington has placed under sanctions under the national security law, and Lam conducted daily COVID tests and stayed in a quarantine hotel for days ahead of Xi’s visit, media said.
Hong Kong reported 2,358 COVID cases on Thursday, with daily infections rising.
China’s strategy of eradicating COVID outbreaks as soon as they occur at all costs contrasts with a global trend to coexist with the disease. Continue reading
Some journalists were prevented from covering the ceremonies, with authorities citing safety requirements. Continue reading
Xi, who is poised to secure a landmark third term at the helm at a Communist Party congress later this year, was due to spend the night in neighboring Shenzhen on Thursday before leaving Hong Kong on Friday.
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Reporting from the Hong Kong and Beijing offices and David Brunnstrom on Washington; Letters from Marius Zaharia and David Brunnstrom; Edited by Clarence Fernandez, Robert Birsel and Richard Pullin
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