Analysts say Hong Kong expects economic stability over the next 25 years and will become increasingly tightly controlled by China, which began dominating international financial centers 25 years ago this week. That is.
China's President Xi Jinping arrived in Hong Kong on Thursday to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the delivery of the former British colony.
Economically, Beijing is working closely with Hong Kong and mainland China, especially with the technology-led, factory-intensive neighboring Guangdong province. The Hong Kong-Guangdong-Macau region has more than 86 million people and a gross domestic product of $ 167 million.
The process could increase the wealth flowing into Hong Kong, the Council on Foreign Relations said in aMay 19 analysis.
"This dramatic transformation will not be the end of Hong Kong as a global financial hub, as it has already begun to promote economic integration with mainland China," said the think tank East Asia. Legal expert Jerome A. Cohen said. Said in the analysis.
Hong Kong is now "at an important stage in moving forward for further prosperity," China's Xinhua News Agencysaid Thursday after Xi arrived.
China has ruled Hong Kong, a former British colony, since 1997. The UK managed it for about 150 years and declared its return in 1997 as China. At that point, China agreed to operate Hong Kong for 50 years until 2047 under the "one country, two systems" model, which gives the territory a measure of local autonomy.
Xi will travel outside mainland China for the first time before the pandemic and will travel to Hong Kong for the first time since 2017. This visit could be "smooth" and "successful" as a confirmation of Beijing's Hong Kong policy. Said Yoon Sang, director of the China program at the Stimson Center in Washington.
"In the next 25 years, Hong Kong will become more and more like a mainland city, like a normal city under mainland control, Beijing."
Political freedom is declining
Chinese leaders are in Hong Kong in 2020 after months of extensive anti-Chinese demonstrations Opposed to autonomy and other political freedomsand rioted a year ago.
To stop the wave of future protests, China approved the Hong Kong-focusedNational Security Act in June 2020. Journalistsand hundreds of former demonstrators were arrested on suspicion of anti-government activity.
Hong Kong libraries are pulling politically sensitive books, universities are hiring top faculty members in support of Beijing, and Human Rights Watch's New York-based senior in China Researcher Wang Yakiu said. Defending workers' rights is now difficult, Wang added. She said posting anti-government materials online is at risk of arrest, despite the fact that foreign social media channels are open in Hong Kong, unlike in mainland China.
"There are no technical obstacles like the mainland, but even if you know you can post, you may be punished for posting content that is critical to the government. You will be arrested. You could go to jail for years — then of course you wouldn't do that. "
Beijing'sIncreased leverage in Hong Kong's legislatureand security legislation specifically questioned how much autonomy China would allow by 2047.
"It's just another Chinese city, politically long before 2047, could one day compete with Shanghai, Shenzhen, etc. for economic life. There is. " "In any case, Hong Kong's era as a world city in Asia is a long time ago, as it has been sold to the world."
Deputy Director of the Asian Division of Human Rights Watch. Phil Robertson said the "remaining freedom" would disappear completely in the next 25 years.
No protests were expected during this week'sXi's visit to Hong Kongdue to increased security. However, the king said that some people put a black cloth over the Chinese flag on display for the festival.
