It's Been 10 Years Since the Hong Kong Handover

Last week -- July 1, to be exact -- was the 10th anniversary of Hong Kong's handover from the UK to China. It resulted in a nice day of holiday for us, and an interesting walk around a pro-Beijing rally. Here's the news brief I wrote for the magazine I write for, with some of our photos below:

***

Hong Kong
City marks handover’s 10th anniversary

With the People’s Liberation Army parachuting into Happy Valley and fireworks over Victoria Harbour spelling out “Chinese people”, Chinese president Hu Jintao warned Hong Kong residents on the 10th anniversary of the city’s return from Britain that “two systems” cannot be separated from “one country”.

Invoking the name of Deng Xiaoping, who ruled the Communist Party of China until his death in 1997 and negotiated for Hong Kong’s return to China, Hu said that “‘one country’ is the prerequisite of ‘two systems’. ‘One country’ and ‘two systems’ cannot be separated from each other. Still less should they be set against each other.”

Hu’s words of caution reflect China’s concern that a majority of Hong Kong residents don’t identify themselves as being part of mainland China. A June 2007 survey by the University of Hong Kong said that 55% of respondents identify themselves as “Hong Kong citizens” or “Chinese Hong Kong citizens”. Banners at a pro-Beijing event at the Happy Valley Race Course carried messages of China-Hong Kong unity in both Chinese and English.

A pro-democracy march attracted an estimated 23,000 people, though rally organizers claimed a much higher turnout. While many Hong Kong residents have expressed lingering concerns about the lack of democracy – Hong Kong’s chief executive is elected by an 800-member election committee which is largely pro-Beijing – Chinese officials pointed to the march as evidence that Hong Kong’s freedoms have been maintained.

Unlike 1997, British diplomats had no official role in the weekend’s festivities, and consular officials were seated with other members of the diplomatic corps. Foreign secretary David Miliband said, in a printed statement, that his country hopes that “the UK and Hong Kong will further develop [an] already close partnership”.

***

The pro-Beijing rally was held just a five minute walk from our house, and we managed to see the tail end of it -- including the banner at the top of this post -- though not, regrettably, the PLA parachute team. The entertainment included traditional dragon dancers and not-so-traditional marching bands.



I also managed to get my hands on a couple of the flags used at the rally. Aren't I adorable?