Xi Jinping warns democracy protesters in Hong Kong not to cross 'red line'
Hong Kong: Chinese President Xi Jinping has warned Hong Kong's youth-led democracy movement not to cross China's red line, in a tough speech to mark the 20th anniversary of the Hong Kong handover.
He implicitly rejected the criticism that Beijing was increasingly interfering in Hong Kong's affairs, despite the promise given in 1997 that Hong Kong could keep a "high degree of autonomy" under the One Country, Two Systems policy.
"The people of Hong Kong enjoy more extensive democratic rights and freedoms than at any other time in its history," he said. Hong Kong had maintained its "capitalist system and way of life and its laws have remained basically unchanged".
One Country, Two Systems was designed to firmly uphold China's sovereignty, according to Mr Xi. He warned there had been "new developments", and the Hong Kong government needed to respond by improving its systems to ensure national sovereignty and security.
Pro-democracy lawmaker Leung Kwok-hung, centre, is taken away by Hong Kong police officers after clashes. Photo: AP
The new developments Mr Xi referred to are the emergence of democracy parties led by the young leaders of the umbrella movement, protesters who brought the city to a standstill for months in 2014, and subsequently saw three members elected to the Legislative Council.
The young democracy activists are calling for self determination and universal suffrage, but unlike the older generation of opposition politicians, they have questioned the validity of Hong Kong's Basic Law and constitution.
Mr Xi said: "Any attempt to endanger China's sovereignty and security, challenge the power of the Basic Law of the Hong Kong special administrative region or use Hong Kong to carry out infiltration and sabotage activities against the mainland is an act that crosses the red line, and is absolutely impermissible."
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The public was kept blocks away from the convention centre where Mr Xi oversaw the swearing in of Carrie Lam as the fifth Hong Kong chief executive. Mr Xi called on the new Hong Kong government to step up the patriotic education of young people, and raise public awareness of the history and culture of China.
Carrie Lam, Hong Kong's chief executive-elect, center, walks past Zhang Xiaoming, director of the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in Hong Kong, second left. Photo: Bloomberg
A survey last month found only 3 per cent of young Hong Kongers identified as Chinese, compared with a third at the time of the handover. Previous attempts to introduce patriotic education in 2011 spawned school student protests.
The July 1 speech was tougher than speeches Mr Xi had given a day earlier to a business audience, where he had highlighted China's economic and technological success and the benefits it could bring to Hong Kong.Instead, he warned on Saturday that development was crucial for HongKong's survival in a competitive global economy and it "cannot afford to be torn apart by reckless moves or internal rifts."
Chinese President Xi Jinping speaks after administering the oath for the Hong Kong's new Chief Executive Carrie Lam. Photo: AP
Mrs Lam said she would work to promote social cohesion and a better understanding of why young people were anxious. She said the problems wouldn't be solved overnight but she pledged to bring a new style of governance to restore social harmony.Hong Kong was a vibrant international metropolis that was just, safe and efficient, but it needed to diversify its economy to create quality jobs, especially for young people, she said.
Student protest leader Joshua Wong and five members of the pro-democracy group Demosisto were briefly arrested on Saturday morning when police saw they had arrived at the Golden Bauhinia statue, cordoned off to the public, before an official flag raising ceremony. They have been released and are expected to address a large protest gathering in the afternoon.
Hong Kong police officers try to remove a pro-China supporter, left in cap, after he attacked pro-democracy activists. Photo: AP
As Mr Xi's flight took off at 1pm, returning him to Beijing, Hong Kong residents poured out of subway stations to attend a noisy protest rally at Victoria Park. There was a heavy police presence at the authorised protest.
Several thousand protesters carrying umbrellas and banners set off from Victoria Park.
http://www.smh.com.au/world/xi-jinp...ng-not-to-cross-red-line-20170701-gx2miu.html