On July 1, 1997, the former British colony was transferred back to China. This is celebrated with a big celebration in Hong Kong today. “Hong Kong’s true democracy started from then on,” President Xi Jinping said during the 25th anniversary celebrations on Friday. The president is on his first trip outside mainland China since the start of the covid-19 epidemic. He took part in the ceremony, which began with the hoisting of Chinese and Hong Kong flags in Victoria Harbor, accompanied by the Chinese national anthem, air show and boats spraying water columns. “After the reunification with the motherland, Hong Kong’s people have become masters of their own city,” Xi said on Friday. “Hong Kong’s true democracy started from then on,” President Xi Jinping said during the 25th anniversary celebrations on Friday. Photo: SELIM CHTAYTI / AFP New leader sworn in On the 25th anniversary, Hong Kong gets a new leader, John Lee. He takes over as Hong Kong’s supreme leader from Carrie Lam. Lee has a background as Hong Kong’s security chief under her rule and played an important role in the Chinese authorities’ fight against the democracy demonstrations in Hong Kong in 2019 and 2020. After the takeover in 1997, China promised that Hong Kong would get a lot of autonomy from the authorities in Beijing. In recent years, control from mainland China has become increasingly stronger. The British accuse the Chinese of not adhering to the agreement reached before the colony was returned. – 25 years ago we gave a promise to the territory and its people. We must keep this promise. We will do everything we can so that China adheres to its part of the agreement, so that Hong Kong can once again be led by the people of Hong Kong, the Prime Minister said in a message sent on Twitter. Photo: twitter – We do not give up Hong Kong, said the British Prime Minister Boris Johnson last night. – 25 years ago we gave a promise to the territory and its people. We must keep this promise. We will do everything we can so that China adheres to its part of the agreement, so that Hong Kong can once again be led by the people of Hong Kong, the Prime Minister said in a message sent on Twitter. July 1 has been celebrated in Hong Kong every year since 1997. The day has often been followed by demonstrations against Chinese increasing control. Photo: Vincent Yu / AP The protests that have subsided on July 1 have been marked in Hong Kong every year since 1997. The day has often been followed by demonstrations against the Chinese’s increasing control. In 2020, Xi Jinping introduced security laws that restrict freedom of expression and make it difficult to go out to demonstrate. The laws were introduced after major democracy protests in Hong Kong in the years after 2014. It peaked in 2019 with many large student demonstrations and many arrests. In recent years, several activists have been arrested and the police have raided independent newspapers. Read more about the democracy protests in Hong Kong here This year’s celebration takes place under strong guard. There have been no major protests against the Beijing authorities today. Large parts of Hong Kong were closed off, and media coverage was strictly limited. In the last week, the police have tried to remove any potential source that could put Xi in a bad light during the visit.
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China has given Hong Kong democracy, claims Xi – news Urix – Foreign news and documentaries
