AP

Will he go or not? Hong Kong awaits word on Xi Jinping visit

Jun 26, 2022, 12:18 PM | Updated: Jun 27, 2022, 4:38 am

Water-filled barriers have been installed by police outside the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition...

Water-filled barriers have been installed by police outside the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre where the inauguration ceremony of the newly-appointed Chief Executive John Lee will take place in Hong Kong, Monday, June 27, 2022. Questions continue to circle over whether Chinese leader Xi Jinping will attend the 25th year anniversary of Hong Kong's handover from British to Chinese rule and the inauguration of of the territory's new leader. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)

(AP Photo/Kin Cheung)


              Water-filled barriers have been installed by police outside the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre where the inauguration ceremony of the newly-appointed Chief Executive John Lee will take place in Hong Kong, Monday, June 27, 2022. Questions continue to circle over whether Chinese leader Xi Jinping will attend the 25th year anniversary of Hong Kong's handover from British to Chinese rule and the inauguration of of the territory's new leader. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)
            
              Water-filled barriers have been installed by police at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre where the inauguration ceremony of the newly-appointed Chief Executive John Lee will take place in Hong Kong, Monday, June 27, 2022. Questions continue to circle over whether Chinese leader Xi Jinping will attend the 25th year anniversary of Hong Kong's handover from British to Chinese rule and the inauguration of of the territory's new leader. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)
            
              Workers hang the Chinese and Hong Kong flags to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Hong Kong handover to China in Hong Kong, Monday, June 27, 2022. Questions continue to circle over whether Chinese leader Xi Jinping will attend the handover anniversary and the inauguration of of the territory's new leader. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)
            
              Water-filled barriers have been installed by police outside the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre where the inauguration ceremony of the newly-appointed Chief Executive John Lee will take place in Hong Kong, Monday, June 27, 2022. Questions continue to circle over whether Chinese leader Xi Jinping will attend the 25th year anniversary of Hong Kong's handover from British to Chinese rule and the inauguration of of the territory's new leader. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)
            
              Water-filled barriers have been installed by police outside the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre where the inauguration ceremony of the newly-appointed Chief Executive John Lee will take place in Hong Kong, Monday, June 27, 2022. Questions continue to circle over whether Chinese leader Xi Jinping will attend the 25th year anniversary of Hong Kong's handover from British to Chinese rule and the inauguration of of the territory's new leader. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)
            
              Water-filled barriers have been installed by police at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre where the inauguration ceremony of the newly-appointed Chief Executive John Lee will take place in Hong Kong, Monday, June 27, 2022. Questions continue to circle over whether Chinese leader Xi Jinping will attend the 25th year anniversary of Hong Kong's handover from British to Chinese rule and the inauguration of of the territory's new leader. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)
            
              Workers hang the Chinese and Hong Kong flags to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Hong Kong handover to China in Hong Kong, Monday, June 27, 2022. Questions continue to circle over whether Chinese leader Xi Jinping will attend the handover anniversary and the inauguration of of the territory's new leader. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)
            
              Water-filled barriers have been installed by police outside the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre where the inauguration ceremony of the newly-appointed Chief Executive John Lee will take place in Hong Kong, Monday, June 27, 2022. Questions continue to circle over whether Chinese leader Xi Jinping will attend the 25th year anniversary of Hong Kong's handover from British to Chinese rule and the inauguration of of the territory's new leader. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)
            
              Water-filled barriers have been installed by police outside the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre where the inauguration ceremony of the newly-appointed Chief Executive John Lee will take place in Hong Kong, Monday, June 27, 2022. Questions continue to circle over whether Chinese leader Xi Jinping will attend the 25th year anniversary of Hong Kong's handover from British to Chinese rule and the inauguration of of the territory's new leader. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)
            
              Water-filled barriers have been installed by police at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre where the inauguration ceremony of the newly-appointed Chief Executive John Lee will take place in Hong Kong, Monday, June 27, 2022. Questions continue to circle over whether Chinese leader Xi Jinping will attend the 25th year anniversary of Hong Kong's handover from British to Chinese rule and the inauguration of of the territory's new leader. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)
            
              Workers hang the Chinese and Hong Kong flags to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Hong Kong handover to China in Hong Kong, Monday, June 27, 2022. Questions continue to circle over whether Chinese leader Xi Jinping will attend the handover anniversary and the inauguration of of the territory's new leader. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)
            
              Water-filled barriers have been installed by police outside the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre where the inauguration ceremony of the newly-appointed Chief Executive John Lee will take place in Hong Kong, Monday, June 27, 2022. Questions continue to circle over whether Chinese leader Xi Jinping will attend the 25th year anniversary of Hong Kong's handover from British to Chinese rule and the inauguration of of the territory's new leader. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)
            
              Water-filled barriers have been installed by police outside the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre where the inauguration ceremony of the newly-appointed Chief Executive John Lee will take place in Hong Kong, Monday, June 27, 2022. Questions continue to circle over whether Chinese leader Xi Jinping will attend the 25th year anniversary of Hong Kong's handover from British to Chinese rule and the inauguration of of the territory's new leader. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)
            
              Water-filled barriers have been installed by police at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre where the inauguration ceremony of the newly-appointed Chief Executive John Lee will take place in Hong Kong, Monday, June 27, 2022. Questions continue to circle over whether Chinese leader Xi Jinping will attend the 25th year anniversary of Hong Kong's handover from British to Chinese rule and the inauguration of of the territory's new leader. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)
            
              Workers hang the Chinese and Hong Kong flags to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Hong Kong handover to China in Hong Kong, Monday, June 27, 2022. Questions continue to circle over whether Chinese leader Xi Jinping will attend the handover anniversary and the inauguration of of the territory's new leader. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)
            
              Water-filled barriers have been installed by police outside the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre where the inauguration ceremony of the newly-appointed Chief Executive John Lee will take place in Hong Kong, Monday, June 27, 2022. Questions continue to circle over whether Chinese leader Xi Jinping will attend the 25th year anniversary of Hong Kong's handover from British to Chinese rule and the inauguration of of the territory's new leader. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)
            
              Visitors walk in front of a TV showing Chinese president Xi Jinping at an exhibition to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Hong Kong handover to China in Hong Kong, Friday, June 24, 2022. President Xi Jinping will participate in next week's celebrations of the 25th anniversary of the return of Hong Kong to China, the government said Saturday, but it left unclear whether he will visit the former British colony for the highly symbolic event after a crackdown on a pro-democracy movement. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)
            
              A woman walks past the Chinese and Hong Kong flags hanging from a residential building to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Hong Kong handover to China, at a public housing estate, in Hong Kong, Saturday, June 25, 2022. President Xi Jinping will participate in next week's celebrations of the 25th anniversary of the return of Hong Kong to China, the government said Saturday, but it left unclear whether he will visit the former British colony for the highly symbolic event after a crackdown on a pro-democracy movement. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)

HONG KONG (AP) — Will he go or not?

Chinese President Xi Jinping kept Hong Kong guessing on Monday about his possible appearance at the 25th anniversary of the former British colony’s return to Chinese rule.

The government has yet to say whether he will be physically present for the events, which include the inauguration of the city’s new chief executive.

The event is hugely symbolic for Xi, who wants to be seen as propelling a “national rejuvenation” as he prepares for an expected third five-year term as head of the ruling Communist Party. Part of that is erasing the legacy of colonialism and what China regards as unequal treaties granting rights to foreign nations imposed during the waning years of the Qing Dynasty, which ended in 1911.

Asked about Xi’s attendance plans at a daily briefing Monday, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian said he had no additional information and that the reporter should ask the “department responsible,” without giving further details.

Xi hasn’t left mainland China since the start of the coronavirus pandemic 2 1/2 years ago, and his exchanges with foreign leaders have been mainly limited to video calls.

Hong Kong, meanwhile, faces a renewed rise in COVID-19 infections after an avalanche of cases this year threatened to overwhelm its hospitals.

China’s official media have said only that Xi will participate in the July 1 commemorations, without describing any travel plans.

Xi gave a speech in Hong Kong for the 20th anniversary of its turnover in which he pledged the central government would take a hard line against any challenges to its authority.

Pro-democracy protests in 2019 were followed by a sweeping crackdown that has effectively ended political opposition in the city. As with most matters concerning the ruling Communist Party, the travel plans of top leaders are generally kept secret.

China has stuck to its “zero-COVID” strategy of eliminating outbreaks by mass testing the population and locking down buildings, neighborhoods or whole cities for weeks or even months.

While the Hong Kong commemorations are purely symbolic, they will include the installation Friday of former security chief John Lee, who led a harsh crackdown on the 2019 pro-democracy protests, as the city’s chief executive.

After the protests, Beijing imposed a sweeping national security law that has jailed, silenced or exiled Hong Kong political activists; curtailed freedoms of expression and assembly; and removed or disqualified people from public office if they were deemed unpatriotic.

Xi’s 2017 speech at the 20th anniversary marked a backing away from the “one country, two systems” framework under which Hong Kong was to retain its civil, political and economic liberties for 50 years, until 2047. China has declared the Sino-British Joint Declaration that laid the legal framework for Chinese rule as no longer relevant and has refused to acknowledge Hong Kong’s former status as a British Crown Colony, saying it never accepted the treaties that were signed between the United Kingdom and the Qing empire.

Hong Kong political analyst Sonny Lo said he expects Xi to be present for Friday’s ceremony, but that he will likely return at the end of the day to Shenzhen just across the border in mainland China for security reasons.

Xi’s presence will demonstrate Beijing’s confidence in its policies toward Hong Kong, including in dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic, Lo said.

Xi’s government has emphasized the city’s integration into the “Greater Bay Area” encompassing much of mainland China’s manufacturing and technological bases in Guangdong province, and his message will likely focus in that direction rather than looking at past events, Lo said.

Having dealt with political opposition in Hong Kong, Xi will turn next to the task of unifying with the self-governing island of Taiwan, a close U.S.-ally which China claims as its own territory, Lo said. The sides split amid civil war in 1949 and China routinely flies military aircraft into the island’s air defense identification zone to pressure it against taking steps toward formal independence.

China says it wants to bring the sides together through peaceful means, but does not rule out the use of force to achieve that goal.

“So half way to 2047, this visit is particularly significant,” Lo said. “The positive overtone will be extremely important because we can expect Beijing to turn to Taiwan, to appeal for some kind of dialogue.”

Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

AP

Image: A cargo ship is stuck under the part of the structure of the Francis Scott Key Bridge after ...

Associated Press

Authorities identify 2 bodies recovered at site of Baltimore bridge collapse

A major bridge in Baltimore snapped and collapsed after a container ship rammed into it early Tuesday, and several vehicles fell into the river below.

1 day ago

Photo: Mountaineer Jim Whittaker has died at 95....

Gene Johnson, The Associated Press

Lou Whittaker, among the most famous American mountaineers, has died at age 95

Lou Whittaker, a legendary American mountaineer who helped lead ascents of Mount Everest, K2 and Denali, has died at age 95.

1 day ago

File photo: Former Sen. Joe Lieberman speaks in Washington on Jan. 18, 2024....

Associated Press

Former Sen. Joe Lieberman, Democrats’ VP pick in 2000, dead at 82

Former U.S. Sen. Joe Lieberman of Connecticut, who nearly won the vice presidency on the Democratic ticket with Al Gore in 2000, has died.

1 day ago

islamic state attack...

Vanessa Gera, The Associated Press

What we know after the Islamic State group claims responsibility for Moscow massacre

The Islamic State group has claimed responsibility for an attack on a suburban Moscow concert hall that killed at least 133 people.

5 days ago

Moscow shooting...

The Associated Press

Russia: 60 dead, 145 injured in concert hall raid; Islamic State group claims responsibility

Assailants burst into a concert hall in Moscow on Friday and sprayed the crowd with gunfire, killing over 60 people, injuring more than 100.

6 days ago

Photo: Britain's Kate, Duchess of Cambridge visits 282 (East Ham) Squadron, RAF Air Cadets, Cornwel...

Associated Press

Kate Middleton announces she has cancer, is undergoing chemotherapy

Kate Middleton, Princess of Wales, says she is undergoing chemotherapy to treat cancer. She has been out of view since Christmas.

7 days ago

Will he go or not? Hong Kong awaits word on Xi Jinping visit