On the 25th anniversary of Hong Kong's return to China, Chinese leader Xi Jinping reaffirmed his adherence to the "one country, two systems" principle.
It is "such a good system" that there is "no reason at all" to change it, Xi said in a speech in Hong Kong this Friday.
The principle must also be adhered to in the “long term”.
Xi asserted that everything China has done in dealing with the former British crown colony is "for Hong Kong's benefit."
The 25th anniversary of the return to China will be celebrated in Hong Kong this Friday.
When the internationally important financial center was returned on June 30, 1997, the Chinese leadership agreed to respect Hong Kong's autonomy and the freedoms prevailing there for another 50 years according to the principle of "one country, two systems".
Hong Kong's freedoms destroyed
The government in Beijing has gradually expanded its influence over Hong Kong over the years.
Mass protests erupted in 2019, which were suppressed with great severity.
In 2020, Beijing imposed a so-called security law on the autonomous region, which massively restricts basic democratic rights such as freedom of expression and assembly.
As part of the anniversary celebrations, the new Hong Kong Prime Minister John Lee, who played a central role in the suppression of the mass demonstrations of the pro-democracy movement in 2019, was inaugurated on Friday.
On the occasion of the anniversary, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken lamented an "erosion of autonomy" in Hong Kong.
It is now clear that leaders in Hong Kong and Beijing no longer see "democratic participation, fundamental freedoms and independent media" as part of the "one country, two systems" principle.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson promised: “We will not give up on Hong Kong.” He also complained that China had not been adhering to the “one country, two systems” principle “for a while”.