China's Xi visits changed Hong Kong for handover anniversary

Chinese leader Xi Jinping arrived Thursday in Hong Kong to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the British handover of a city that his rule has transformed from a global hub known for its political freedoms to one that is much more tightly controlled by the Communist Party. In a staged event carried live on Chinese TV, students and others lined the platform of a high-speed rail station and packed a red carpet to greet the leader making his first trip outside of mainland China in nearly 2 ½ years — a choice that underscored Hong Kong's ever-closer ties to the mainland. Under Mr. Xi's leadership, China has reshaped Hong Kong, cracking down on protests, imposing a strict national security law used to silence dissent, introducing a more "patriotic" curriculum in schools, and revamping election laws to keep opposition politicians out of the city’s Legislature. In an apparent reference to the 2019 protests, Mr. Xi told well-wishers on his arrival that Hong Kong has overcome many challenges over the years and had been “reborn from the ashes” with “vigorous vitality.” Later after meeting with Ms. Lam, he praised her for ending what he said was chaos that had gripped the city and for ensuring that only “patriots” would rule Hong Kong. National security police have targeted the city's most outspoken pro-democracy media in Hong Kong, with raids that forced several outlets to shut down, including the city's last pro-democracy newspaper, Apple Daily.