Security lockdown in Hong Kong as Xi Jinping pays visit
29 Jun 2017 6:01 PM GMT
Swaths of Hong Kong have been placed under an unprecedented security lockdown as Chinese president Xi Jinping arrived in the city to mark 20 years since the UK handed the city back to China.
Mass protests are expected to greet Xi on the 1 July anniversary, an annual tradition amplified by his presence in the city. Prominent Hong Kong democracy activists, including Joshua Wong and lawmaker Nathan Law, were arrested after they staged a sit-in the night before Xi's arrival. The UK handed Hong Kong back to China on 1 July, 1997, ending over 150 years of colonial rule.
The city was allowed to remain autonomous from mainland China, and maintains separate laws, government, and freedoms under a framework known as "one country, two systems".
As Xi touched down on Thursday, he said he wanted to work with "all sectors" of society as he was met by a band of children in red caps, waving Chinese and Hong Kong flags.
"For 20 years the central government has firmly supported Hong Kong, and the central government, as always, will support the development and improve the livelihood of Hong Kong people," Xi said on the tarmac, also greeted senior officials and cheering supporters.
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