The 20th anniversary of the British colony’s return to China sent a pointed signal to the world that Beijing intends to reassert its control – whether at home or abroad.
China’s yellow-starred flag hung from a helicopter Saturday far above Hong Kong’s placid harbor. A tinier version of the territory’s red and white banner dangled underneath.
The flags accentuated the power play between the communist country and the capitalist city, as an anniversary weekend meant to honor a united China devolved instead into displays of division.
On one side stood the country’s leader, on the other, thousands of Hong Kong protesters who rebuked his historic visit and warned of dwindling freedoms under Chinese rule.
President Xi Jinping ’s trip, to coincide with the 20th anniversary of the former British colony’s return to China, sent a pointed signal to the world that Beijing won’ t tolerate challenges to its control – whether at home or abroad.
“Any attempt to endanger China’s sovereignty and security, challenge the power of the central government…or use Hong Kong to carry out infiltration and sabotage against the mainland, is an act that crosses the red line, ” Xi said after presiding over the inauguration of Carrie Lam, the city’s new chief executive.
He cautioned against “making everything political or deliberately creating differences” that could cost the city its success as Asia’s financial hub.
This marked Xi’s first trip as president to the territory, which struggles with deep political divides, unmanageable property prices, a widening income gap, and a frustrated young population with few options to advance.
Hundreds of thousands of people took part in a months-long street protest in 2014 for the right to elect their own leader. The so-called Umbrella Movement failed to win concessions, but it gave rise to a small pro-independence push that has ruffled Beijing.
China agreed to give Hong Kong limited autonomy for five decades after the handover, granting it rare freedoms such as an independent judicial system and uncensored media. Officials labeled the formula “one country, two systems.”
But Xi’s government has pushed against those boundaries. Five booksellers who sold salacious material about China’s leaders disappeared in 2015 — then resurfaced in custody on the mainland. In January, secret police abducted a well-connected Chinese billionaire from his bed at the Four Seasons hotel.
China’s parliament has issued unprecedented interventions in the city’s legal system. Despite a lack of public support, Lam was elected by a small group of largely pro-Beijing elites.
