The Chinese president visits the city on the 25th anniversary of his return to Chinese sovereignty and the inauguration of the new local chief executive. Entire neighborhoods isolated and severe restrictions on press coverage. He listed the goals to be achieved by the new city government.
Hong Kong () – Chinese President Xi Jinping celebrated the 25th anniversary of the return of the city under Chinese sovereignty and the entry into office of the new chief executive of the city, John Lee, but he did so with the pro-Beijing elite, not with the people of the former British colony. During his two-day visit there was a massive deployment of law enforcement and entire neighborhoods were isolated, with severe restrictions on press coverage, both local and foreign.
In his speech, Xi said Hong Kong’s “true democracy” began after it returned to Chinese hands in 1997. The Chinese president claimed that the Chinese Communist Party’s dictatorship is true democracy, not the “formalities” of the Western model. . Despite what he claims, Hong Kongers must have thought otherwise in December’s parliamentary election, when only 30.2% of voters went to the polls. A historical minimum after the electoral reform imposed by Beijing that only allowed the nomination of “patriotic” deputies loyal to the Party and eliminated pro-democratic representation.
In “democratic” Hong Kong today there was not a trace of democrats. Like last year, the traditional July 1 march could not be held. The national security law imposed by Xi annihilated the democratic front and at this moment all the organizers of the event are in jail or under police control.
The first march, on July 1, 2003, brought together 500,000 people: it was against an anti-subversive law proposed by the city executive headed by Tung Chee-hwa. Last year, in defiance of the authorities, only a group of four members of the League of Social Democrats held a protest rally in Wan Chai. This year the police anticipated events by confining several members of the political group to their homes, one of the few that has not yet disappeared under the onslaught of the security law.
Xi was clear in describing the future he hopes for Hong Kong. No change to the “one country, two systems” format, which should have guaranteed a high degree of autonomy for the city under agreements with Britain. Xi said that Hong Kong will maintain a capitalist regime, its traditional way of life and the common law legal system (introduced by the British) until 2047.
But only “patriots” can rule Hong Kong, because power cannot be handed over to “traitors”, a euphemism for pro-democracy figures and all those who have been protesting since 2014 to demand more freedom and more democracy for the city. In Xi’s words, no one can question Beijing’s “general jurisdiction” over Hong Kong.
Warnings to Lee were not lacking. Xi listed a series of goals to be achieved by the new local ruler, including improving administrative efficiency and boosting the economy. According to Xi, what Hongkongers really want is a better life, a bigger house, more opportunities to open innovative businesses, better education and better care for the elderly.
The recent flight abroad of thousands of Hong Kong residents tells a different story, in a city that used to have a “global” status and is now at risk of becoming a mere “Chinese” megalopolis.
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