Hong Kong tightens security ahead of Xi visit for 25th anniversary of handover

Xi Jinping will make his first trip outside mainland China since the Covid pandemic began, as the territory marks the milestone amid heightened security

In downtown Hong Kong huge barriers have gone up around the convention centre, establishing a tight, two-level securitised zone with no civilian access. On Wednesday hundreds of Hong Kong’s distinctive red taxis, adorned with red Chinese flags, and red celebratory banners, parked in the shape of the number “25” in the city’s Central district. Across the harbour in Kowloon, hundreds of Chinese and Hong Kong flags fluttered from balcony railings of two housing estates, each dozens of storeys high.

On Friday, Hong Kong will mark 25 years since the territory was returned from Britain to China, and authorities are taking no chances, ensuring the day is filled with pomp and pageantry – and no sign of dissent. China’s president, Xi Jinping, will attend a ceremony marking the anniversary, his first trip outside mainland China since the pandemic began.

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