‘Special’ quarantines indicate a possible visit by Xi Jinping to Hong Kong
The Chinese president is expected to take part in the celebrations marking the 25th anniversary of Hong Kong’s return to Chinese sovereignty on 1 July, which is also the first day of office for its new chief executive. Local authorities want to create a “safety bubble” against COVID-19. People in different parts of the world mark the pro-democracy rallies that shook the city three years ago.
Hong Kong (AsiaNews) – Preparations for “special” quarantines suggest that Chinese President Xi Jinping might be in Hong Kong on 30 June and 1 July to mark the 25th anniversary of the end of British rule and its return to Chinese sovereignty, as well as the first day in office of its new chief executive, John Lee.
AFP provided the most important clue, reporting that parents at the Wong Cho Bao Elementary School were asked to sign up their children to greet visiting dignitaries upon their arrival at the airport on 30 June and their departure the next day.
According to the school principal, pupils who participate in the two events will have to quarantine for a week at a designated location starting 23 June, away from their family and in the presence of a teacher.
Local media note that Hong Kong authorities want to create a “safety bubble” to ensure that Xi and other Chinese leaders can move around without risk of contagion from SARS-CoV-2.
Amid criticism and grassroots protests, China has adopted a draconian policy to contain the pandemic. This includes Hong Kong but local health protocols are not as strict as those in mainland China.
The South China Morning Post report that the pre-emptive isolation will affect about a thousand people, including Lee and outgoing Chief Executive Carrie Lam.
For Chinese leaders, attending the ceremony marking the transfer of power between Hong Kong chief executives has been an established practice since 1997. However, Xi has not left China after the COVID-19 pandemic was officially declared in early 2020.
Analysts note that the president could use this opportunity to his political advantage and in terms of image after imposing a national security law on Hong Kong two years ago.
For human rights activists and Western countries, the law is designed to silence the local pro-democracy opposition and effectively end the “one country, two systems” model agreed with the United Kingdom, which guaranteed Hong Kong a large degree of political and economic autonomy within Communist China until 2047.
Since pro-democracy rallies were held in 2019, more than a thousand political dissidents were thrown in Hong Kong prisons.
Last Sunday thousands of exiled Hong Kongers and supporters held protests in different parts of the world, especially in London and Taipei, to mark the third anniversary of the mass protest against a proposed extradition bill.
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31/12/2020 13:31
11/06/2020 12:50
