Hu Jintao silent on democracy as he arrives in HK

Chinese President Hu Jintao (胡錦濤) avoided the touchy issue of democracy yesterday as he began his first presidential trip to Hong Kong to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the former British colony's return to China.

After stepping off the plane onto a rain-soaked tarmac, Hu walked past a line of flag-waving children and told reporters he was happy with Hong Kong's progress in the last decade.

"I'm even more confident about Hong Kong's future," he added in a brief speech.

Security was tight for Hu's three-day trip, and a wall of police blocked a group of about 20 pro-democracy protesters from marching to Hong Kong Chief Executive Donald Tsang's (曾蔭權) residence, where Hu was to have dinner.

As they walked through an area downtown, the demonstrators chanted, "Give power to the people!" and carried pictures of Hu with an X over his face. They also held up a banner that said, "China needs democracy and Hong Kong needs universal suffrage."

Protest leader Leung Kwok-hung (梁國雄), also a lawmaker, set fire to his Hu picture.

"If he doesn't want to face Hong Kong people, why did he come here?" he said of Hu.

Hu's itinerary includes banquets, a visit to a new panda exhibit, a variety show and Sunday's hand-over ceremony.

Hong Kong was handed back to China on July 1, 1997, after being ruled by the British for 156 years. The deal gave the city a wide degree of autonomy under a "one country, two systems" formula.

An annual pro-democracy street protest was to be held Sunday after the handover ceremony. Hu was scheduled to leave just before the march.

The Chinese leader didn't mention political reforms during his red carpet welcome at the airport.

Hu commended Hong Kong for weathering an often-turbulent first decade under Chinese rule. Hong Kong's government "has unified and led all the Hong Kong people in overcoming all types of difficulties and risks," he said.

Later yesterday, the Chinese president played pingpong with a boy at a training center for elite athletes before meeting Hong Kong leader Tsang at a hotel reception room.

After Hu praised the city's economy again, Tsang agreed the territory was prospering and "Hong Kong people have been smiling a lot."

Tsang, a veteran civil servant in the British colonial government, sat up straight in his chair holding his speaking notes in his lap.

He spoke in heavily accented Mandarin, although he is more fluent in English and his native Cantonese.