HONG KONG — When Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived here Thursday to mark 20 years since the former British colony was handed over to China's control, he was greeted by cheering crowds at the airport.
But many people here aren't celebrating.
Saturday's anniversary commemorates the hand-over under a policy known as "one country, two systems.” When China’s communist regime regained sovereignty over Hong Kong, it guaranteed that the Asian financial hub would maintain its open economic and political systems.
Two decades later, predictions that the communist mainland would become more like freewheeling Hong Kong have proven false. Instead, Hong Kong has gradually become more like the rest of China.
This vibrant harbor city has seen a steady erosion of freedom and civil liberties as Beijing's leaders increasingly exert control. That has spawned a determined pro-democracy movement that has little to show for its years of protests.
“Beijing was managing the hand-over so well, so expertly that we didn't notice any change, any concession. And so we put our guard down," said Jason Y. Ng, a Hong Kong lawyer, author and social activist. "It's only on the 20-year mark when you take a step back, look back and reflect, then you notice how different that the city is.”
Official banners can be seen around the city commemorating the anniversary, but the mood among some residents has been far from festive.
“We’re not celebrating,” said Danielle Chan, 26, a student. “This is a dark day for Hong Kong and there’s not a lot we can do to change the situation.”
Matt Cheng, a hairdresser, summed up a feeling that many here have been expressing in recent years: “China is taking over,” he said. “It’s hopeless.”
Pro-democracy activists said Beijing has increasingly been impinging upon Hong Kong’s autonomy and civil liberties — from attempting to instill a patriotic national education curriculum in 2012 to blocking universal voting rights.
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