Hong Kong prepares ‘patriotic’ holiday on 26th China handover anniversary
Beijing, June 30 (EFE).- The Hong Kong government will celebrate Saturday the 26th anniversary of the return to Chinese sovereignty of the former British colony with a patriotic festival following the pandemic and pro-democracy protests that hit the territory in 2019.
The city announced Friday events planned for the occasion, such as exhibitions of traditional Chinese culture, innovation and technology that, according to Zheng Yanxiong, head of the body that represents Beijing in the semi-autonomous city, will demonstrate “how Hong Kong has recovered gradually out of political turmoil,” becoming “again, a lovely city.”
China defused the protests with a controversial security law that left the most prominent activists of the pro-democracy movement in exile or in prison.
In previous years, tens of thousands of Hong Kongers took to the streets every July 1 in an annual march to chant pro-democracy slogans and voice grievances to the government.
Last year, the march did not take place and Chinese President Xi Jinping visited Hong Kong for the 25th anniversary, which marked the halfway point from its past as a British colony to its full integration with China, scheduled for 2047.
As Xi said last year, “in recent years, Hong Kong has gone through several severe challenges one after another, and has overcome them,” referring to the pro-democracy protests that hit the territory in 2019. EFE
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