China’s Xi visits changed Hong Kong for handover anniversary

By ZEN SOO
Associated Press

HONG KONG (AP) — Chinese leader Xi Jinping arrived in Hong Kong to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the British handover of a city that his rule has transformed from a global hub known for its political freedoms to one that is much more tightly controlled by the Communist Party. In a staged event carried live on Chinese TV, students and others greeted the leader Thursday. He is making his first trip outside of mainland China in nearly 2 ½ years. Under Xi’s leadership, China has reshaped Hong Kong, imposing a strict national security law used to silence dissent and revamping election laws to keep opposition politicians out of the city’s Legislature. The changes have all but eliminated dissenting voices in a place once known for its vibrant political debate.