BEIJING: Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived at West Kowloon Station in Hong Kong by train on Thursday afternoon, launching his visit to the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the city’s return to the motherland.
This is also Xi’s first publicly announced visit outside the Chinese mainland since the COVID-19 epidemic started in early 2020. This visit will be of great significance as observers expect that Xi will point out in his speech the direction of the city’s future development, especially after the implementation of the national security law for Hong Kong and electoral system reform helped restore stability in the city. Observers in Hong Kong and the mainland believed that Xi’s visit to Hong Kong amid an increasingly complex geopolitical environment sends a clear message to Hong Kong and to the world that the “one country, two systems” principle is beneficial to the country and to the city, and will be unswervingly upheld for the long term despite smears and doubts by the West.
It also serves as an important warning to some external hostile forces as well as extremist secessionists in the city that the country will never tolerate those who sabotage Hong Kong’s prosperity or the country’s sovereignty, security and development interests.
Carrie Lam, the outgoing chief executive of the HKSAR, and Luo Huining, director of the central government’s liaison office in Hong Kong, welcomed Xi and the first lady Peng Liyuan on the station platform. They were surrounded by local residents and students waving Chinese national flags, flowers and banners with the words “Warmly welcome President Xi to attend the celebration of the 25th anniversary of the city’s return to the motherland and the inaugural ceremony of the sixth-term government of the HKSAR.”Inside the station, a lion dance was held and the atmosphere of excitement was palpable.
Xi extended congratulations and best wishes to Hong Kong compatriots as he gave a short speech inside the station. He said he has always been concerned about Hong Kong and his heart is always with Hong Kong compatriots. “It has been five years since my last visit to Hong Kong,” Xi said upon arrival at the West Kowloon high-speed rail station.
Over the past five years, I have been all along concerned about and caring for Hong Kong, and my heart is always with Hong Kong compatriots, Xi said.
–The Daily Mail-People Daily news exchange item
