Xi thrilled to be in Hong Kong

President in ex-British colony to mark 20th anniversary of handover

HONG KONG: Chinese President Xi Jinping landed in Hong Kong to mark the upcoming 20th anniversary of Beijing re-establishing sovereignty over the former British colony, accompanied by a formidable layer of security as authorities braced for protests.

Xi’s Air China plane touched down at midday for the three-day visit. The trip culminates tomorrow with Xi overseeing an inauguration ceremony for the Asian financial hub’s new leader, Carrie Lam.

Pro-democracy activists staged protests ahead of his visit and more are expected, including an annual march through the streets tomorrow that has drawn big crowds in the past. Hong Kong authorities were taking no chances with disruptions and deployed heavy security across the city.

Helicopters hovered overhead and police and barricades lined the streets around a downtown convention centre and hotel complex where Xi is expected to spend most of his time.

Authorities even glued the gaps between sidewalk paving stones, in an effort to prevent them from being torn up and thrown by protesters.

Xi is visiting to mark the 20th anniversary of Hong Kong’s handover, when Britain ceded control of its colony to China at the stroke of midnight on June 30, 1997.

“It’s been nine years since I last set foot in this place. I’m thrilled,” Xi said on the airport tarmac.

“Hong Kong has been tugging away at my heart,” he said, adding that the anniversary of Hong Kong’s “return to the motherland” tomorrow is “a big deal, a joyous occasion for the country and for Hong Kong”.

He said one of the purposes of his trip is to plan for Hong Kong’s future.

“We would like to look back at the 20 years of Hong Kong’s extraordinary journey, learn from our experiences, and look forward to the future, to ensure the stable development of ‘one country, two systems’,” he said in brief remarks before speeding off in a motorcade without answering questions.