Hu arrives in HK for celebrations marking handover
Saturday, 30 June 2007
HONG KONG, June 29 (AFP): President Hu Jintao arrived here Friday at the start of three days of celebrations marking Hong Kong's first decade after returning to Chinese rule.
The Chinese leader is expected to kick off his visit with an informal dinner with Chief Executive Donald Tsang Friday before a packed weekend of events to mark the 10th anniversary of the handover on July 1.
It is only the fourth visit by a Chinese president since the 1997 handover brought down the curtain on 155 years of British rule over Hong Kong.
Sunday's celebrations will be in stark contrast to those 10 years ago, when Hong Kong's former colonial governor Chris Patten fought back tears as the British flag was lowered for the last time, in the presence of Prince Charles and Britain's then prime minister Tony Blair.
No foreign dignitaries have been invited to attend the carefully choreographed timetable of events, which include the formal presentation by Hu of two pandas, a gift to Hong Kong from the mainland.
Instead, the events will celebrate Hong Kong's closer ties with the mainland, including the symbolic opening Sunday of a new bridge linking Hong Kong with the booming southern Chinese city of Shenzhen, and the ceremonial raising of the Chinese flag on July 1.
The newly re-elected Tsang and two Hong Kong children born on July 1, 1997 greeted Hu as he stepped off the plane Friday morning.
The Chinese president hailed the "outstanding achievements" of the past 10 years and said he was optimistic about Hong Kong's future.
"In the past 10 years under the 'one country, two systems' principles Hong Kong people ruled Hong Kong and Hong Kong enjoyed a high degree of autonomy," he said.
The Chinese leader is expected to kick off his visit with an informal dinner with Chief Executive Donald Tsang Friday before a packed weekend of events to mark the 10th anniversary of the handover on July 1.
It is only the fourth visit by a Chinese president since the 1997 handover brought down the curtain on 155 years of British rule over Hong Kong.
Sunday's celebrations will be in stark contrast to those 10 years ago, when Hong Kong's former colonial governor Chris Patten fought back tears as the British flag was lowered for the last time, in the presence of Prince Charles and Britain's then prime minister Tony Blair.
No foreign dignitaries have been invited to attend the carefully choreographed timetable of events, which include the formal presentation by Hu of two pandas, a gift to Hong Kong from the mainland.
Instead, the events will celebrate Hong Kong's closer ties with the mainland, including the symbolic opening Sunday of a new bridge linking Hong Kong with the booming southern Chinese city of Shenzhen, and the ceremonial raising of the Chinese flag on July 1.
The newly re-elected Tsang and two Hong Kong children born on July 1, 1997 greeted Hu as he stepped off the plane Friday morning.
The Chinese president hailed the "outstanding achievements" of the past 10 years and said he was optimistic about Hong Kong's future.
"In the past 10 years under the 'one country, two systems' principles Hong Kong people ruled Hong Kong and Hong Kong enjoyed a high degree of autonomy," he said.