China's Xi talks tough on Hong Kong as thousands protest for democracy

Chinese President Xi Jinpingswore in Hong Kong's new leader on Saturday with a stark warningthat Beijing won't tolerate any challenge to its authority inthe divided city as it marked the 20th anniversary of its returnfrom Britain to China.

Police blocked roads, preventing pro-democracy protestersfrom getting to the harbour-front venue close to where the lastcolonial governor, Chris Patten, tearfully handed back Hong Kongto China in the pouring rain in 1997.

"Any attempt to endanger China's sovereignty and security,challenge the power of the central government ... or use HongKong to carry out infiltration and sabotage activities againstthe mainland is an act that crosses the red line and isabsolutely impermissible," Xi said.

• Hong Kong after the handover: 2 decades of Chinese rule

He also referred to the "humiliation and sorrow" Chinasuffered during the first Opium War in the early 1840s that ledto the ceding of Hong Kong to the British.

Hong Kong has been racked by demands for full democracy and,more recently, by calls by some pockets of protesters forindependence, a subject that is anathema to Beijing.

Xi's words, in a 30-minute speech, were his strongest yet tothe city amid concerns over what some perceive as increasedmeddling by Beijing, illustrated in recent years by theabduction by mainland agents of some Hong Kong booksellers andBeijing's efforts in disqualifying two pro-independencelawmakers elected to the city legislature.

"It's a more frank and pointed way of dealing with theproblems (in Hong Kong)," said former senior Hong Konggovernment adviser Lau Siu-kai on Hong Kong's Cable Television.

"The central government's power hasn't been sufficientlyrespected... they're concerned about this."

The tightly choreographed visit was full of pro-Chinarhetoric amid a virtually unprecedented security lockdown. Xidid not make contact with the people in the street or with anypro-democracy voices, forgoing an opportunity to lower thepolitical heat.

Under Hong Kong's mini-constitution, the Basic Law, thefinancial hub is guaranteed wide-ranging autonomy for "at least50 years" after 1997 under a "one country, two systems" formulapraised by Xi. It also specifies universal suffrage as aneventual goal.

But Beijing's refusal to grant full democracy triggerednearly three months of street protests in 2014 that at timeserupted into violent clashes and posed one of the greatestpopulist challenges to Beijing in decades.

'Most urgent' protest in years

Thousands gathered in the afternoon in a sprawling parknamed after Britain's Queen Victoria, demanding Xi allowuniversal suffrage.

"This protest is the most urgent in the past 20 years," saidlegislator Eddie Chu, as some demonstrators marched with yellowumbrellas, a symbol of democratic activism in the city, and heldaloft banners denouncing China's Communist "one party rule."

Others criticized China's foreign ministry which on Fridaysaid the "Joint Declaration" with Britain over Hong Kong, atreaty laying the blueprint over how the city would be ruledafter 1997, "no longer has any practical significance."

Xi, dressed in a dark suit and striped red tie, in themorning addressed a packed hall of mostly pro-Beijingestablishment figures, after swearing in Hong Kong's firstfemale leader, Carrie Lam, who was strongly backed by China.

Lam, speaking in Mandarin instead of the Cantonese dialectwidely used in Hong Kong and southern China, said she wanted tocreate a harmonious society and bring down astronomical housingprices that have also sown social discord.

New leader echoes Xi'spromise

Lam also pledged to take firm legal action against those who"undermine" China's sovereignty, security and developmentinterests.

Xi hinted that the central government was in favour of HongKong introducing "national security" legislation, acontroversial issue that brought nearly half a million people tothe streets in protest in 2003 and ultimately forced formerleader Tung Chee-hwa to step down.

A small group of pro-democracy activists near the venue wereroughed up by a group of men who smashed up some props in uglyscuffles while surrounded by more than 100 police. Ninedemocracy protesters, including Joshua Wong and legislator"longhair" Leung Kwok-hung, were bundled into police vans whileseveral pro-China groups remained, cheering loudly and wavingred China flags.

The activists, in a later statement, said the assailants hadbeen "pro-Beijing triad members."

Other protesters unfurled a massive yellow banner, with thewords "I want real universal suffrage,"on the waterfront ofHong Kong's Victoria Harbour, but were later taken away bypolice.

Hong Kong fireworks mark 20 years of Chinese rule

7 years ago

Duration 1:40

A fireworks show commemorates 20 years since the U.K. handed Hong Kong back to China