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Hong Kong at 25
Hong KongPolitics

What Chinese President Xi Jinping told Hong Kong in 2017 and key messages he can be expected to deliver on 25th anniversary of handover

  • His message in 2017 was tough but tempered, warning of red lines but also speaking of opportunities
  • Analysts expect Xi will focus on sovereignty, national resilience and economic integration again

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Illustration: Lau Ka-kuen
Tony Cheung

“‘One country’ is like the roots of a tree. For a tree to grow tall and luxuriant, its roots must run deep and strong.”

That metaphor came from Chinese President Xi Jinping in a keynote speech at the inauguration ceremony of Hong Kong’s fifth term government on July 1, 2017, the last time he set foot in the city that Beijing took back from the British in 1997.

During the address before a 2,000-strong audience, Xi underscored the importance of abiding by the Chinese constitution and the Basic Law, the city’s mini-constitution, and urged Hong Kong authorities to seize economic opportunities and safeguard social harmony.

A day earlier, he gave another speech at a welcome dinner at Government House, urging Hong Kong people to “believe in themselves, in the city, as well as in the “country” amid uncertainties and challenges posed by the global economy.

Since then, Xi’s tree metaphor has been quoted often by Hong Kong’s pro-Beijing politicians and senior officials. Outgoing Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor cited it at least five times in the last five years.

Looking back at Xi’s Hong Kong visit, analysts noted that the president had struck a firm yet moderate tone in his speeches, warning residents not to cross the bottom line of undermining Chinese sovereignty, and calling for consensus over conflict to solve major problems.

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