Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in Hong Kong on Thursday (June 30) to attend celebrations marking the 25th anniversary of the city's return to China, an AFP journalist noted.
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Xi Jinping traveled to Hong Kong on a high-speed train for his first visit outside mainland China since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Accompanied by his wife Peng Liyuan and Foreign Minister Wang Yi, he was greeted at the station by schoolchildren waving flags and bouquets of flowers, as well as dancers dressed in lion costumes and some accredited media.
Details of the trip were kept top secret and the visit prompted a massive security effort.
Closed circuit against Covic-19
Hong Kong government leaders have been forced into a closed-loop system due to Covid-19.
Parts of the city have been closed and many journalists have been barred from scheduled events.
The moves illustrate the Chinese Communist Party's control of the city after a wave of political repression that dismantled the democracy movement and crushed dissent.
The Chinese leader, however, is likely to spend the night in the nearby mainland city of Shenzhen, according to local media.
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People who will be in Xi's orbit during his trip, including top government officials, have been told to limit contact, undergo daily PCR tests and spend the days leading up to the visit in a quarantine hotel.
“
As a security measure, if we have to meet the supreme leader and other leaders closely, I think it is worth making closed-circuit arrangements,
” the pro-Beijing politician told AFP. Regina IP.
Reinforced law enforcement and surveillance
Authorities have taken steps to eliminate any potential source of embarrassment during Xi Jinping's stay in the city.
National Security Police arrested at least nine people last week.
The League of Social Democrats (LSD), one of Hong Kong's last remaining opposition political parties, said it would not demonstrate on July 1, after an exchange between national security officers and volunteers associated with the band.
LSD leaders told AFP their homes were searched and they also had conversations with police.
Chan Po-ying, chairwoman of the group, said she felt like she was being followed and watched over the past few days.
Hong Kong's leading pollster said it would delay releasing the results of a government popularity survey "
in response to suggestions from relevant government departments after their risk assessment
".
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The anniversary of Hong Kong's return from Britain to China on July 1, 1997 has long been the occasion for large, peaceful protests in the streets of the city.
But, under the combined effect of health restrictions and the repression of dissent, mass gatherings have practically disappeared in Hong Kong in recent years.
"Security Reasons"
Media coverage of Xi Jinping's visit was strictly limited.
On Wednesday, AFP confirmed that 13 local and international journalists had been denied accreditation to cover the handover celebrations.
Two AFP journalists were among those denied accreditation, a government official citing
unspecified "
security reasons ".
A third AFP reporter then obtained accreditation.
The Hong Kong Journalists Association expressed its "
deep regret
" following these refusals.
The government told the media that the decision was "
a balance, as far as possible,
Some sites in the financial center have been closed, including the high-speed train terminus, a Chinese opera performance venue and the Hong Kong Science Park.
A number of science park workers told AFP that they received no notification of the Chinese president's visit, but were asked to work from home on Thursday.
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Authorities have also sought to project an image of public support, including by mass-deploying Hong Kong and Chinese flags in dozens of large public housing developments.
"
It's useless and it's too much
," said a resident of one of these sets, Chan, 26, in front of the small flags placed on each floor in a stairwell.
