By Anne Marie Roantree and James Pomfret
HONGKONG -There isn't a motive to vary Hong Kong’s “one nation, two programs” system of governance, Chinese language President Xi Jinping stated on a uncommon go to to the worldwide monetary hub after swearing within the metropolis’s new chief, John Lee, on Friday.
Britain returned Hong Kong to Chinese language rule on July 1, 1997, with Beijing promising wide-ranging autonomy, unfettered particular person rights and judicial independence at the least till 2047.
China’s critics, together with Western nations, accuse authorities of trampling on these freedoms with a sweeping nationwide safety regulation imposed by Beijing on the town in 2020 within the aftermath of mass pro-democracy protests the 12 months earlier than.
China and Hong Kong reject the accusations, saying the regulation “restored order from chaos” in order that the town can prosper.
Xi stated the safety regulation was useful for the “democratic rights” of the town’s residents and that the “one nation, two programs” system would stay in place.
“For this type of good system, there isn't a motive in any respect to vary it. It should be maintained over the long run,” Xi stated.
On the swearing-in ceremonies, all officers, together with Xi, wore masks and stood at the least one metre aside. They didn't shake palms.
Former safety chief Lee, who's sanctioned by america over his position in implementing the safety regulation, takes cost at a time when the town is going through an exodus of individuals and expertise amid a few of the hardest COVID-19 restrictions on the earth.
Authorities deployed an enormous safety power, blocking roads and the airspace across the picturesque Victoria Harbour, the place the final colonial governor, Chris Patten, tearfully handed Hong Kong again to China at a rain-drenched ceremony in 1997.
Pink lanterns and posters declaring a “new period” of stability adorned most important roads and walkways near the conference centre
Xi didn't attend the standard flag-raising ceremonies on Friday, with media reporting he stayed in a single day throughout the border in Shenzhen after arriving in Hong Kong on Thursday.
Xi’s journey to Hong Kong is his first since 2017, when he swore within the metropolis’s first feminine chief, Carrie Lam, who oversaw a few of the territory’s most tumultuous instances, marked by anti-government protests in 2019 and the COVID pandemic.
5 years in the past, Xi stayed in Hong Kong all through his journey. His in a single day whereabouts this time, and the the explanation why he might have chosen Shenzhen, haven't been formally confirmed.
Hong Kong recorded greater than 2,000 day by day COVID circumstances on Thursday, ranges which might end in very tight restrictions in any mainland metropolis. China is alone amongst main nations in selecting to stamp out any outbreak as quickly because it happens at nearly any price.
‘GREAT REJUVENATION‘
Some analysts see Xi’s go to as a victory tour after Beijing tightened its management of Hong Kong. After arriving within the metropolis on Thursday, Xi stated the town had overcome its challenges and “risen from the ashes”.
“What occurred over the previous 25 years has confirmed that the long run and future of Hong Kong should be within the palms of the patriots who would cry proudly for being Chinese language,” nationalist tabloid World Instances, which is revealed by the ruling Communist Celebration’s official Individuals’s Day by day, wrote in an editorial. “The nice rejuvenation of the Chinese language nation is irreversible and Hong Kong’s tomorrow will probably be even brighter.”
Tens of 1000's of demonstrators marched throughout Xi’s go to 5 years in the past, and July 1 had historically been used as an annual alternative for Hong Kong individuals to voice grievances.
No protests are happening this time, with essentially the most outspoken opposition politicians and democracy activists both in jail or self-exile.
“The entire metropolis has just one dominant voice and others are eradicated. It's quiet and ‘harmonious’ as a result of it has misplaced its political variety and freedom of expression,” pro-democracy activist Nathan Legislation, who fled Hong Kong, stated in a tweet. “It’s ‘one nation, two programs’ failure, not success.”
Post a Comment