Struggle for Control Underlies Xi Jinping’s Visit to Hong Kong
Mr. Xi only wants Hong Kong to be "a good son" to China, said Lui Che-woo, a billionaire who
was part of a business delegation from the city that met with Mr. Xi in Beijing in 2014.
China’s first aircraft carrier will also visit in July, after Mr. Xi leaves, reinforcing the military shadow over the city, those papers also said.
On Thursday, when Mr. Xi arrives in the city for the first time as China’s leader, he is unlikely to mention the 2014 upheaval
that challenged his young administration, but it will lie behind his message of Beijing’s firm control.
Hong Kong newspapers loyal to Beijing have said that Mr. Xi will visit another symbol of central power, the garrison of the People’s Liberation Army.
Mr. Xi has also been single-minded with what he sees as China’s territorial integrity,
whether it concerns Tibet, Taiwan, the South China Sea or Hong Kong.
But China under Mr. Xi has not hesitated to enforce its will in Hong Kong, even at
the risk of appearing to blatantly violate the "one country, two systems" pledge.