China’s Xi Declares Hong Kong Is ‘Reborn’ After Overcoming Risks
- Trip marks Xi’s first time outside mainland in almost 900 days
- Chinese leader has crushed dissent since last visit in 2017
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President Xi Jinping said Hong Kong had been “reborn” since he last visited five years ago, as he returned to the former British colony to mark its 25th anniversary of Chinese rule.
“After the storm, Hong Kong has been reborn from the ashes, showing vigor and vitality,” the Chinese leader said in a short speech Thursday afternoon at West Kowloon railway station. His comments were an apparent reference to the sweeping security law Beijing imposed in 2020 that crushed dissent after mass anti-government unrest.