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HKFP
3 days ago
- Business
- HKFP
In Pictures: Hong Kong celebrates 28th Handover anniversary
Hong Kong celebrated the 28th anniversary of the city's return from British colonial rule to China on Tuesday, with the food and beverage sector offering July 1 promotions and discounts to mark the Handover. About 4,100 restaurants and shops participated in offering customers discounts, according to the government. Restaurant chains like Tai Hing Group offered a 29 per cent discount on all dine-in meals, meaning customers only needed to pay 71 per cent of their bills. Four senior government officials, led by Deputy Chief Secretary Cheuk Wing-hing, had dim sum at a Chinese restaurant in Wan Chai on Tuesday morning and enjoyed the discount after attending the annual flag-raising ceremony and reception for the Handover, the government said in a press release. In a speech delivered during the reception, Chief Executive John Lee said national security would safeguard Hong Kong's development amid global uncertainty. 'High-level security will safeguard high-quality development,' Lee said in Cantonese. 'We will steadfastly safeguard national security and seize upon national opportunities under the One Country, Two Systems framework.' Lee also pledged to expedite the development of the Northern Metropolis – a megaproject that the government says will be home to a third of the city's population, but environmental groups have called for better protection of the surrounding wetlands. In Tsim Sha Tsui, dozens of people lined up to board fishing boats adorned with bright red Chinese national and Hong Kong flags, which paraded around Victoria Harbour in celebration of the Handover. Led by the Hong Kong Fishermen Consortium, the group waved China's and Hong Kong's flags outside the Hong Kong Cultural Centre. In Tai Kok Tsui's Olympian City shopping mall, panda-shaped balloons were given to children as part of the Handover celebratory promotions. 'Hong Kong has changed a lot' Across the harbour, in Causeway Bay's Victoria Park, some braved the rain at an event marking the Handover anniversary. Prior to the national security law, the park was the starting point of pro-democracy marches on the Handover anniversary, during which civil society groups walked from Causeway Bay to Central to call for democracy. On Tuesday, parts of the park were booked out by the Hong Kong Celebrations Association, which set up installations – including giant egg tarts and mini panda sculptures – for people to take pictures with. A small exhibition displayed photos of key landmarks in Hong Kong and the years they were built. Among those highlighted were Golden Bauhinia Square in 1997, the Avenue of Stars in 2004, West Kowloon Station, which connects Hong Kong to the mainland, in 2018, and Kai Tak Stadium this year. A woman in her 50s, who asked to remain anonymous, told HKFP she had come to the park to celebrate the Handover anniversary. She was holding a Hong Kong flag and a China flag, which she said were being given out for free at Lee Tung Avenue, a shopping and dining area in Wan Chai. 'As a Hongkonger, I'm here to support local Hong Kong events,' she said in Cantonese. She told HKFP that Lee, the city's chief executive, has been doing a good job as Hong Kong's leader. His policies have made the streets cleaner and Hong Kong more attractive to tourists, she said. Asked how she felt about the political developments in recent years, the woman said she did not pay much attention to politics. L, who was at Victoria Park with his girlfriend, told HKFP he wanted to 'check out what's going on' and take some photos. He asked to be identified only by an initial. He said that prior to 2020, he used to spend Handover anniversaries at protest marches. One of the first marches he took part in was in 2003, when his parents brought him out to protest against the government's plans to enact a local security law known as Article 23. That year, plans for legislation were suspended due to opposition. The law was passed last year in the city's opposition-free legislature. 'Hong Kong has changed a lot since 2019,' L, who is in his mid-20s, said in Cantonese. 'The changes seem inevitable nowadays.' Another man – who only gave his surname, Lam – was at the park with eight family members, including his grandson. Lam said he believed Hong Kong was less chaotic now, but that the stability had come at a cost. He said he had seen the news that the League of Social Democrats (LSD) – one of the city's last pro-democracy groups – announced their disbandment on Sunday. 'It's a pity that there are fewer opposition voices now,' he said. 'It was good to have those voices around because they bring about change. Otherwise, change will take a long time to happen,' Lam told HKFP in Cantonese.
DW
3 days ago
- Politics
- DW
Hong Kong's democracy movement marks a somber July 1 – DW – 06/30/2025
Citizens of Hong Kong used to rally for democracy every July 1. The National Security Law has kept the streets quiet for the last five years, but the movement's fading slogans still echo in people's minds. "For over 10 years, July 1 meant protest — walking the streets for universal suffrage and other demands, running into familiar faces, ending the day with a drink or dinner. It felt like we were trying to build a better society," says Vinze, 40, a Hongkonger who asked not to use his real name. July 1 is the date when UK rule in Hong Kong ended and the city rejoined China in 1997, with Beijing pledging to give it broad autonomy under the "one country, two systems" policy. For many years, liberal citizens of Hong Kong marked July 1 by marching against what they saw as government overreach. But Beijing was undeterred — in the summer of 2020, the authorities imposed the National Security Law, abruptly shrinking the space for public expression. Then, in 2024, Hong Kong cemented the shift with Article 23 which expands police power, allows for closed trials, and focuses on treason, sedition and state secrets. The new law extinguished nearly all possibility for protest. For Chief Executive John Lee, these changes meant that the city "has returned to normalcy." "Stability has been restored," Lee insisted. "I stopped going in 2020, when marches were no longer allowed. Now it's just red flags and celebration. Maybe this is what numbness feels like — just another holiday," Vinze told DW. "Looking back, it almost feels romantic — that we once believed we could ask the government for change." On the eve of the fifth anniversary of the National Security Law — just one day before July 1 — Hong Kong's last active pro-democracy group, the League of Social Democrats, announced its disbandment. "Many of us have already served time," said the group's chair, Chan Po-ying. "We didn't continue because we were strong in numbers — we kept going because we believed in what we stood for." "For the sake of our members and those who've stood beside us," Chan said, "we've had to make this painful decision." Even the annual flag-raising ceremony is now closed to the public. Attendance is restricted to government officials and vetted participants. Some performances are pre-recorded. The entire scene is tightly managed. A group of students said they were taken to a stadium in Hung Hom to record a performance for July 1. "The teacher said there'd be no audience. Security is high," said one teenage performer. Her schoolmate was surprised: "Really? I didn't know it was for July 1." Another added, softly: "Wait, what's July 1?" Across the city, patriotic imagery fills public spaces — in transport hubs, museums, shopping malls. Along Victoria Harbour, fishing vessels take part in a cruise tour organized by the Hong Kong Fishermen Consortium — a local fishermen's association that works closely with government departments. Pro-Beijing supporters are waving their flags at the waterfront. "I'm not Chinese, but I feel very proud of Hong Kong and support its development as part of China," said a mother and professional in her 40s who has lived in the city for over a decade. "There's potential for 'One Country' to bring real synergy and community growth. But I worry that the way the National Security Law is enforced could ultimately slow Hong Kong's progress." Since 2019, more than 10,200 people have been arrested in relation to the pro-democracy protests. More than 300 have been detained under national security charges. Thirteen prominent activists now live in exile, with bounties on their heads. Chan Po-ying, of the now-disbanded League of Social Democrats, describes the political pressure as "overwhelming." Asked why the announcement came now, she pauses: "We can only say — 無何奈何 — There was no other way." Still, the activists say their principles remain unchanged — urging others to keep the flame of dissent alive. Elsewhere in the city, a protest slogan lingers, barely visible beneath layers of paint. It seeps into an atmosphere of control, into the spaces between what is said and what is remembered.
DW
4 days ago
- Politics
- DW
Hong Kong's pro-democracy movement hiding between the lines – DW – 06/30/2025
Citizens of Hong Kong used to rally for more democracy every July 1. The National Security Law has kept the streets quiet for the last five years, but the movement's fading slogans still echo in people's minds. "For over ten years, July 1 meant protest — walking the streets for universal suffrage and other demands, running into familiar faces, ending the day with a drink or dinner. It felt like we were trying to build a better society," says Vinze, 40, a Hongkonger who asked not to use his real name. July 1 is the date when UK rule in Hong Kong ended and the city rejoined China in 1997, with Beijing pledging to give it a wide autonomy under the "One country, two systems" policy. For many years, liberal citizens of Hong Kong marked July 1 by marching against what they saw as government overreach. But Beijing was undeterred — in the summer of 2020, the authorities imposed the controversial National Security Law, abruptly shrinking the space for public expression. Then, in 2024, Hong Kong cemented the shift with Article 23 which expands police power, allows for closed trials and focuses on treason, sedition and state secrets. The new law extinguished nearly all possibility for protest. For Chief Executive John Lee, these changes meant that the city "has returned to normalcy." "Stability has been restored," Lee insisted. "I stopped going in 2020, when marches were no longer allowed. Now it's just red flags and celebration. Maybe this is what numbness feels like — just another holiday," Vinze told DW. "Looking back, it almost feels romantic — that we once believed we could ask the government for change." On the eve of the fifth anniversary of the National Security Law — just one day before July 1 — Hong Kong's last active pro-democracy group, the League of Social Democrats, announced its disbandment. "Many of us have already served time," said the group's chair Chan Po-ying. "We didn't continue because we were strong in numbers — we kept going because we believed in what we stood for." "For the sake of our members and those who've stood beside us, we've had to make this painful decision." Even the annual flag-raising ceremony is now closed to the public. Attendance is restricted to government officials and vetted participants. Some performances are pre-recorded. The entire scene is tightly managed. A group of students said they were taken to a stadium in Hung Hom to record a performance for July 1. "The teacher said there'd be no audience. Security is high," said one teenage performer. Her schoolmate was surprised: "Really? I didn't know it was for July 1." Another added, softly: "Wait, what's July 1?" Across the city, patriotic imagery fills public spaces — in transport hubs, museums, shopping malls. Along Victoria Harbour, fishing vessels take part in a cruise tour organized by the Hong Kong Fishermen Consortium — a local fishermen's association that works closely with government departments. Pro-Beijing supporters are waving their flags at the waterfront. "I'm not Chinese, but I feel very proud of Hong Kong and support its development as part of China," said a mother and professional in her 40s who has lived in the city for over a decade. "There's potential for 'One Country' to bring real synergy and community growth. But I worry that the way the National Security Law is enforced could ultimately slow Hong Kong's progress." Since 2019, over 10,200 people have been arrested over the pro-democracy protests. More than 300 have been detained under national security charges. Thirteen prominent activists now live in exile, with bounties on their heads. Chan Po-ying of the now-disbanded League of Social Democrats describes the political pressure as "overwhelming." Asked why the announcement came now, she pauses. "We can only say — 無何奈何 — There was no other way." Still, the activists say their principles remain unchanged — urging others to keep the flame of dissent alive. Elsewhere in the city, a protest slogan lingers — barely visible beneath layers of paint. It seeps into an atmosphere of control, into the spaces between what is said and what is remembered.
