HONG KONG:Hong Kongers marked a decade of Chinese rule yesterday with fireworks and parachute displays, as well as a mass street protest to demand more democracy.
It didn't rain, unlike 10 years ago when everyone was soaked by a torrential downpour as the crowds watched the Union Jack go down on the Crown Colony after 156 years of British rule.
The day began with the raising of the Chinese national flag and that of Hong Kong. Then helicopters pulled the two flags along, leaving a stream of red smoke.
Chinese president Hu Jintao was in Hong Kong for the celebrations, and he officially swore in chief executive Donald Tsang at an event in the city's convention centre.
Mr Hu said China was committed to the "one country, two systems" formula, which allows Hong Kong considerable autonomy within the terms of the territory's mini-constitution, called the Basic Law.
The Chinese president stressed the importance of national unity which could be read as a warning to democracy campaigners pressing for universal suffrage in Hong Kong.
He said that without one country there would be no two systems. Hong Kong people should "put the overall and long-term interests of Hong Kong and China above everything else", Mr Hu said.
"One country and two systems cannot be separated from each other, still less should they be set against each other."
He also opened a bridge to the boomtown on Shenzhen, just across the border in the mainland - another symbol of growing economic links between Hong Kong and the mainland, and reviewed the troops at a People's Liberation Army base in the territory.
The president made no walkabouts in what was a low-key visit. The Grand Hyatt Hotel where he stayed was surrounded by hundreds of police. There were clashes at one point after protesters tried to approach the hotel to hand Mr Hu a petition calling for democracy, protection of human rights and expression of remorse for the June 4th, 1989 crackdown in Beijing's Tiananmen Square, which saw troops kill hundreds, perhaps thousands, of people.
Hong Kong's chief executive is picked by an 800-seat election committee dominated by Beijing loyalists. Only half of the 60-seat legislature is directly elected, and the rest are picked by professional and interest groups.
Mr Tsang, who has worked as a civil servant under both the Chinese and the British administrations, is known for his PR skills, his bow ties and his ability to juggle pressures for democratic reform with demands from Beijing that nothing should change in a dramatic way.
"Over the next five years, Hong Kong needs to transform itself. We will develop a system that is more democratic. We will build a government that is more open," said Mr Tsang.
Later, thousands of demonstrators - including former Hong Kong government number two, Anson Chan - marched through the city waving flags that called for "One Person, One Vote".
The Basic Law says universal suffrage is the ultimate goal, but is vague on a timetable, giving Beijing scope to dictate the pace of reform. Beijing's parliament has ruled out direct elections until at least 2012.
The demonstrators were also seeking cleaner skies and better social welfare. Taking part in the march for the first time was Cardinal Joseph Zen, who has been outspoken in criticising Beijing's human rights record.
Celebrations were crowned with a firework display on Sunday night, which spelled out the words "Chinese people".