Hong Kong: Xi Jinping defends Chinese government on surrender anniversary
Written byTimes Magazine
China's head of state strictly defended the political system in a speech in Hong Kong following recent international criticism.
It was heavily guarded because it housed Mr. Xi, who had made his first trip outside the continent in two years.
But in recent years, China has been criticized for tightening its control over Hong Kong and for passing laws and reforms that hamper freedom of speech and expression. The "One Country, Two Systems" principle stems from an agreement between Great Britain and China and is anchored in Hong Kong law. The shelter ends in 2047, a deadline many in Hong Kong have long feared.
Xi said Friday that "it should be respected in the long term" - the clearest sign that China intends to maintain a political model that critics say has been compromised to please Beijing.
Surrounded by Chinese and Hong Kong flags on stage, Xi defended the system by working to protect the prosperity also stability of Hong Kong and China's "fundamental interests" over the past 25 years.
"The one-country-two system has been tested and proven repeatedly, and there is no reason to change such a good system," he said, to applause from an audience made up mainly of the city's pro-Beijing elite.
He added that the system had "unanimous approval" from residents along with "wide approval" from the international community and that "Hong Kong's true democracy began" when it returned to China.
But Hong Kong has witnessed significant protests over the years, and many, including Western countries, have criticized Beijing's growing meddling with the city.
In 2020, China introduced a controversial national security law limiting freedom of speech and expression in Hong Kong. This has prompted Britain to accuse China of violating the "one country, two systems" principle and their agreement.
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