CHINA - President Xi Jinping hailed China's rule over Hong Kong on Friday as he led 25th-anniversary celebrations of the city's handover from Britain, insisting that democracy was flourishing despite a years-long political crackdown that has silenced dissent.
Friday's ceremony included the inauguration of the city's new government, led by John Lee -- a former security chief who oversaw the police response to those demonstrations. Critics, including many western powers, say Beijing has effectively torn up the promise that Hong Kong would retain its way of life after the handover.
Those coming into the president's orbit -- from the schoolchildren who welcomed him at the train station to the highest-ranking government officials -- were made to take daily PCR tests and spend days in a quarantine hotel.Police moved to eliminate any potential source of embarrassment during Xi's time in the city, with national security police making at least nine arrests over the past week, and many of the few remaining opposition groups saying they had been warned off protesting.
All events have been closed to the public, but some scattered groups gathered near the flag-raising ceremony to watch the flypast.