Chinese President Xi Jinping was met with jubilation and demonstrations today on his first trip to Hong Kong in an official visit designed to mark two decades of Chinese rule in the former British territory.
Well-wishers greeted Jinping at the airport, but protesters have been active in the run-up to the visit. Prominent Hong Kong protesters, including Nathan Law and Joshua Wong, were arrested after they staged a sit-in the night before the President's visit.
"For the past 20 years, Hong Kong has always had the strong backing of the central government," the President told crowds at Hong Kong airport on Thursday, encouraging citizens to "look forward to the future, making sure 'one country, two systems' can work smoothly and continue".
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
About 11,000 officers will be deployed during the visit and areas of the city will be off limits to the public, The Guardian reports.
An annual protest will take place on 1 July, shortly after the President's departure. According to the Daily Telegraph, the protest is "a call for full democracy".
On 1 July 1997, the UK handed control of Hong Kong to China under what is known as a "one country, two systems" formula, which grants a level of autonomy to Hong Kong that differs from mainland China.
Concerns over the democratic rights of Hong Kong citizens have lingered since the 1997 handover. There were mass protests after Beijing's proposed reforms to the Hong Kong electoral system in 2014. More than 100,000 pro-democracy demonstrators opposed the reforms in what has been dubbed the Umbrella Revolution, due to the activists' usage of umbrellas to protect them from police pepper spray.
-
Groypers: the alt-right group pulled into the foregroundThe Explainer The network is led by alt-right activist Nick Fuentes
-
10 concert tours to see this upcoming fallThe Week Recommends Concert tour season isn't over. Check out these headliners.
-
How to put student loan payments on pauseThe Explainer If you are starting to worry about missing payments, deferment and forbearance can help
-
'Axis of upheaval': will China summit cement new world order?Today's Big Question Xi calls on anti-US alliance to cooperate in new China-led global system – but fault lines remain
-
China's Xi hosts Modi, Putin, Kim in challenge to USSpeed Read Chinese President Xi Jinping hosted Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Russian President Vladimir Putin and other Asian leaders at an SCO summit
-
China is silently expanding its influence in American citiesUnder the Radar New York City and San Francisco, among others, have reportedly been targeted
-
How China uses 'dark fleets' to circumvent trade sanctionsThe Explainer The fleets are used to smuggle goods like oil and fish
-
One year after mass protests, why are Kenyans taking to the streets again?today's big question More than 60 protesters died during demonstrations in 2024
-
What happens if tensions between India and Pakistan boil over?TODAY'S BIG QUESTION As the two nuclear-armed neighbors rattle their sabers in the wake of a terrorist attack on the contested Kashmir region, experts worry that the worst might be yet to come
-
Why Russia removed the Taliban's terrorist designationThe Explainer Russia had designated the Taliban as a terrorist group over 20 years ago
-
Inside the Israel-Turkey geopolitical dance across SyriaTHE EXPLAINER As Syria struggles in the wake of the Assad regime's collapse, its neighbors are carefully coordinating to avoid potential military confrontations
