Stability vital 25 years after HK handover

Chinese President Xi Jinping is making his second visit to Hong Kong as the country's top leader, on the 25th anniversary of its handover to Chinese rule. It will be to a much more subdued city than the one he visited five years ago on the 20th anniversary. Then, there were raucous pro-democracy street protests and the annual July 1 march attended by tens of thousands, even as there were also celebratory activities. This time, the streets will likely be largely empty: there will be no protests as many of the organisers of such rallies are either in jail, facing prosecution or have gone into exile overseas. The new national security law has also put a dampener on such activities. National security police have already summoned some volunteers of at least one pro-democracy group for meetings.

It will be a largely trouble-free commemoration after a tumultuous time for the city in the years after Mr Xi's first visit. But simmering tensions remain, with one observer noting that the mood of resistance in society shows no sign of abating. In 2017, Mr Xi went to Hong Kong in the aftermath of the unsuccessful 79-day Umbrella Movement that emerged in 2014 to push for political reform. It spawned a movement, mainly of young people who emphasised differences between their city and the mainland. Some called for self-determination and even independence.