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Chinese leader Hu visits Hong Kong
2007-06-29
HONG KONG -- Chinese President Hu Jintao avoided the thorny issue of democracy in Hong Kong as he arrived Friday for weekend commemorations of the 10th anniversary of the former British colony's handover to China. Making his first visit as president, Hu exited his plane and walked past a line of flag-waving children on the tarmac and told reporters he was happy with Hong Kong's progress in the last decade. "I'm even more confident about Hong Kong's future," he added. Hong Kong is ruled under a "one country, two systems" formula designed to allow the city a wide-degree of autonomy. Beijing has allowed the territory to keep its capitalist ways, civil liberties and British-style legal system. Although Hong Kongers enjoy freedoms that mainlanders can only dream about, many critics say that media self censorship is common and that government leaders are controlled by Beijing figures lurking behind the scenes. Security was tight as Hu expected to face protests from pro-democracy activists and the Falun Gong spiritual group. Hu's itinerary included banquets, a visit to a new panda exhibit, a variety show and Sunday's handover ceremony. Hong Kong's first decade under Chinese rule has been rocky. The city's economy was battered by the Asian financial crisis that erupted a day after the handover on July 1, 1997. Hong Kong was hammered again in 2003 when the outbreak of SARS -- or severe acute respiratory syndrome -- killed nearly 300 people, scared away visitors and ravaged the city's vital tourist industry. But the vibrant city has bounced back, and the economy is chugging along -- thanks to its close ties to booming mainland China. Last year, Hong Kong's stock market surpassed New York as the second most popular place -- after London -- to float new stock listings. The biggest new listings came from China. Hu commended the city for weathering the crisis. Hong Kong's government "has unified and led all the Hong Kong people in overcoming all types of difficulties and risks," he said. But the Chinese leader's brief arrival speech did not address the touchy issue of democracy in Hong Kong. During the past 10 years, Hong Kongers have grown more impatient about political reforms. They still can't directly elect their leader and entire legislature. China's Communist leadership has yet to say when these freedoms will be granted. Many lawmakers and groups insist that Hong Kong -- one of Asia's wealthiest and well-educated societies -- is ready for full democracy. They plan to hold an annual pro-democracy street protest on Sunday after the handover ceremony. Hu was scheduled to leave just before the march.
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