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WORLD NEWS Friday 30 June 2017

China’s Xi in Hong Kong for anniversary as protests planned

By KELVIN CHAN to prevent them from be-
Associated Press ing torn up and thrown by
HONG KONG (AP) — Chi- protesters.
nese President Xi Jinping Three pro-democracy
landed in Hong Kong Thurs- groups said 26 of their
day to mark the 20th an- members were arrested
niversary of Beijing taking Wednesday evening on
control of the former British public nuisance charges
colony, accompanied by for staging a sit-in at a gi-
a formidable layer of secu- ant flower sculpture near
rity as authorities showed the complex. They were
little patience for pro-de- still detained hours after
mocracy protests. Xi arrived. Police have the
After stepping off his Air power to hold them up to
China plane, Xi said he 48 hours.
envisioned “stable devel- Those arrested included
opment” of Hong Kong’s Joshua Wong, the young
“one country, two systems” activist who helped lead
framework. 2014’s “Umbrella Move-
Pro-democracy activists ment” protests, and Na-
fear Beijing is undermining than Law, another student
the principle — agreed protest leader who was
upon when Britain handed elected to the legislature
over the city back to Chi- last year. Chinese President Xi Jinping, center, accompanied by Hong Kong Chief Executive Leung Chun-
na — which guarantees Xi is visiting to mark the 20th ying, rear left, and Chief Executive-elect Carrie Lam, rear right, arrives at Hong Kong’s airport,
Hong Kong can mostly run anniversary of Hong Kong’s Thursday, June 29, 2017. Hong Kong is planning a big party as it marks 20 years under Chinese
its own affairs and keep handover, when Britain rule. But many people in the former British colony are not in the mood to celebrate. Fireworks, a
gala variety show and Chinese military displays are among the official events planned to coin-
civil liberties including free ceded control of its colony cide with a visit by Chinese President Xi Jinping starting Thursday for the occasion.
speech until 2047. to China at the stroke of (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)
Xi’s three-day visit culmi- midnight on June 30, 1997.
nates Saturday when he “It’s been nine years since anniversary of Hong Kong’s of his trip is to plan for Hong ward to the future to en-
will oversee an inaugu- I last set foot in this place. “return to the motherland” Kong’s future. sure the stable develop-
ration ceremony for the I’m thrilled,” Xi said on the on Saturday is “a big deal, “We would like to look back ment of ‘one country, two
Asian financial hub’s new airport tarmac. a joyous occasion for the at Hong Kong’s extraordi- systems,’” he said in brief
leader, Carrie Lam. “Hong Kong has been tug- country and for Hong nary journey over the past remarks before speeding
Pro-democracy activists ging away at my heart,” Kong.” 20 years, to learn from our off in a motorcade without
staged protests ahead of he said, adding that the He said one of the purposes experience, and look for- answering questions. q
his visit and more were ex-
pected, including an an- China pledges continued assistance to Philippines
nual march through the
streets on Saturday that
has drawn big crowds in BEIJING (AP) — China’s for- Thursday in Beijing, Chinese cized his brutal war against thinking that we are Asians
the past. Hong Kong au- eign minister told his Philip- Foreign Minister Wang Yi mostly small-time drug and that peace and stabil-
thorities were taking no pine counterpart Thursday said the sides would “con- dealers and addicts. ity in our region will give us
chances with disruptions that Beijing is ready to pro- tinue to improve our mutual Beijing has seized on that the leverage we need to
and deployed heavy secu- vide more aid to the South- trust and control our differ- opportunity and Wang said be able to develop our na-
rity across the city. east Asian country, as ties ences so as to maintain the the relationship “will defi- tions and our people.”
Helicopters hovered over- between the former antag- peace and stability of the nitely become wider and ... Separately, Chinese De-
head and police and bar- onists continue to improve. South China Sea.” more solid. fense Ministry spokesman
ricades lined the streets The relationship has increas- The two countries have The road in the past was a Wu Qian appeared to indi-
around a downtown con- ingly overshadowed the overlapping territorial dead end.” cate that the shipment of
vention center and ho- Philippines’ longstanding claims in the strategic wa- Philippine Foreign Secre- arms delivered on Wednes-
tel complex where Xi was ties with the United States. terbody and feuded bit- tary Alan Peter Cayetano day was only a start.
expected to spend most Beijing this week donated terly under Philippine Presi- also articulated a more “The Chinese side has al-
of his time. Officers ques- emergency aid, sniper rifles dent Rodrigo Duterte’s pre- Asian-centric approach. ways opposed firmly any
tioned passers-by taking and other weaponry to decessor, Benigno Aquino “We should think less in na- form of terrorism and op-
photos of the few protests help the Philippine military III. tional borders, less that we poses any person who car-
allowed near the area. drive out Muslim rebels who Duterte has pledged to are Chinese, we are Filipi- ries out or supports terrorist
Authorities even glued the overran the southern city of steer Manila closer to Bei- no, we are Japanese, we activities under any name,”
gaps between sidewalk Marawi. jing while consistently blast- are Korean, we are Thais Geng said at a monthly
paving stones in an effort At a news conference ing the U.S., which has criti- or Indonesians, and start news briefing.q