June 30 (UPI) — Chinese President Xi Jinping visited Hong Kong for the first time in nine years to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the city’s handover to China — but not all are happy with two decades of Chinese governance of the former British colony.
In Hong Kong on Thursday, Xi reaffirmed his position on the “one country, two systems” policy that allows Beijing to govern Hong Kong from a distance, while leaving day-to-day affairs to local lawmakers.
But the Chinese leader’s continued crackdown on pro-democracy activists, and the recent release of dissident Liu Xiaobo, a late-cancer patient, riled Hong Kong protesters.
A recent rally culminated in the arrest of more than a dozen Hong Kong activists, ahead of Xi’s visit to the city, The South China Morning Post reported.
Xi did not address rising concerns of increased authoritarianism, choosing to focus instead on Beijing’s support for the city’s economic future and local efforts to restrain dissent.
“The city’s governing team has worked hard and shown a sense of responsibility towards the country, Hong Kong and history,” Xi said, calling the “one country, two systems” policy a success.
In his address to top legislators, Xi said, “You made achievements on issues such as land, housing, elderly and poverty … and, especially, on steadily handling a series of important political and legal issues and curbing ‘Hong Kong independence’ effectively.”
The New York Times reported Thursday that Hong Kong, like other world-class cities, is facing an affordable housing crisis that is squeezing the middle class.
A group of Hong Kong lawmakers cautiously addressed democratic concerns on Friday in a statement to Xi.
“We agree that Hong Kong is an inalienable part of China. However … the central government and its liaison office have increasingly emphasized ‘one country’ but derogated ‘two systems,’ and even interfered with Hong Kong’s internal affairs in multiple sectors.”
The legislators called on the Chinese president to restart political reform.
