World

Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in Hong Kong Thursday to attend celebrations marking the 25th anniversary of the city’s handover from Britain to China.

Xi travelled into the city by high-speed train, the first time he has left mainland China since the Covid-19 pandemic began. 

Accompanied by his wife Peng Liyuan and Foreign Minister Wang Yi, he was greeted at the station by schoolchildren waving flags and bouquets of flowers, as well as lion dancers and select accredited media.

Details around the trip have been kept tightly under wraps, and the visit has sparked a massive security effort.

Government leaders have been forced into an anti-Covid “closed-loop” system, parts of the city shut down, and multiple journalists barred from Friday events that will showcase the Communist Party’s control over the city after a political crackdown that dismantled a democracy movement and crushed dissent.

The Chinese leader will likely spend the night in neighbouring Shenzhen on the mainland.

Those coming into Xi’s orbit during the trip, including the highest-ranking government officials, have been made to limit their social contacts, take daily PCR tests and check into a quarantine hotel in the days leading up to the visit. 

“To play safe, if we are going to meet the paramount leader and other leaders in close quarters, I think it is worthwhile to go into the closed-loop arrangements,” veteran pro-Beijing politician Regina Ip told AFP.

– Tight security –

Authorities have moved to eliminate any potential source of embarrassment during Xi’s time in the city, with national security police making at least nine arrests over the past week.

The League of Social Democrats (LSD), one of Hong Kong’s few remaining opposition groups, said it will not demonstrate on July 1 after national security officers spoke with volunteers associated with the group.

LSD leaders told AFP their homes had been searched, and that they had also had conversations with the police. 

Chan Po-ying, the group’s president, said that over the last few days she had begun to feel that she was being followed and watched.

“In the past there was something like this too, but not as bad as this year,” the veteran activist said.

Hong Kong’s top polling group announced that it would delay publishing the results of a survey that gauged government popularity “in response to suggestions from relevant government departments after their risk assessment”.

The July 1 handover anniversary in Hong Kong has traditionally been marked by tens of thousands taking to the streets in peaceful rallies every year.

But mass gatherings have essentially disappeared in Hong Kong over the past few years under a mixture of coronavirus restrictions and a security crackdown aimed at eliminating any public opposition to China’s uncompromising rule over the city. 

– Patriotism on display –

Authorities have tightly restricted media coverage of Xi’s visit, with the government barring multiple journalists from covering events around it.  

As of Wednesday, AFP has confirmed that 13 local and international journalists were denied accreditation to cover the handover celebrations.

Two AFP reporters were among those rejected, with a government official citing unspecified “security reasons”. A third AFP reporter was later granted accreditation.

There are large-scale road closures on Hong Kong Island, and the flying of drones has been temporarily banned throughout the entire city, with police citing security concerns.

Select sites across the financial hub have also been closed off, including the high-speed rail terminus, a performance venue for Chinese opera and Hong Kong’s Science Park.

A number of Science Park workers told AFP they had not received any notification about a visit by Xi but said they were told to work from home on Thursday.

Authorities have also sought to portray an image of public support for the celebrations, including with mass displays of Hong Kong and China flags draped across dozens of public housing estates.

At one estate, a 26-year-old resident surnamed Chan complained at small flags that had been placed outside every floor at a stairwell. “It is unnecessary and too much,” he told AFP.

Tony, a worker at the estate, said the display would be better if it was done by residents voluntarily.

“Are we really embracing this ideology so much?” he told AFP.

“People may be repelled… if it is overdone.”

Israeli lawmakers were voting Thursday on a bill to dissolve parliament in a move that will trigger the country’s fifth election in less than four years and make Foreign Minister Yair Lapid the new prime minister.

Final voting on the dissolution bill had been expected before midnight Wednesday, but was delayed amid sparring between the outgoing eight-party coalition and the opposition led by former premier Benjamin Netanyahu.

The prime minister who led that coalition, Naftali Bennett, said late Wednesday that he will not stand in the upcoming elections, and will turn leadership of his religious nationalist Yamina party to his long-term political ally, Interior Minister Ayelet Shaked.

“I do not intend to run in the upcoming elections, but I will remain a loyal soldier of this country,” Bennett said.

A definitive vote on the dissolution bill was expected within hours, with Lapid taking over as prime minister and sending Israelis back to the polls, as the nation remains mired in the worst political crisis in its 74-year history.

Lawmakers had settled on an election date of November 1.

– ‘Dark forces’ –

Netanyahu has promised that his own alliance of right-wingers, ultra-nationalists and ultra-Orthodox Jewish parties will win the upcoming vote, but polls show he may also struggle to rally a parliamentary majority.

Netanyahu’s main challenger will likely be long-time foe Lapid, a former celebrity news anchor who has surprised many since being dismissed as a lightweight when he entered politics a decade ago.

Bennett’s motley alliance formed with Lapid in June 2021 offered a reprieve from an unprecedented era of political gridlock, ending Netanyahu’s record 12 consecutive years in power and passing Israel’s first state budget since 2018.

As pair announced plans to end their coalition last week, Lapid sought to cast Netanyahu’s potential return to office as a national threat.

“What we need to do today is go back to the concept of Israeli unity. Not to let dark forces tear us apart from within,” Lapid said.

Bennett led a coalition of right-wingers, centrists, doves and Islamists from the Raam faction, which made history by becoming the first Arab party to support an Israeli government since the Jewish state’s creation.

But the alliance, united by its desire to oust Netanyahu and break a damaging cycle of inconclusive elections, was imperilled from the outset by its ideological divides.

– Farewell address –

Bennett said the final straw was a failure to renew a measure that ensures the roughly 475,000 Jewish settlers in the occupied West Bank live under Israeli law.

Some Arab lawmakers in the coalition refused to back a bill they said marked a de facto endorsement of a 55-year occupation that has forced West Bank Palestinians to live under Israeli rule.

For Bennett, a staunch supporter of settlements, allowing the so-called West Bank law to expire was intolerable. Dissolving parliament before its June 30 expiration temporarily renews the measure.

In the weeks before his coalition unravelled, Bennett sought to highlight its successes, including what he characterised as proof that ideological rivals can govern together.

“No one should give up their positions, but it is certainly possible and necessary to put aside, for a while, ideological debates and take care of the economy, security and future of the citizens of Israel,” he said in his farewell address Wednesday, which did not rule out a eventual return to politics.

Bennett will stay on as alternate prime minister responsible for Iran policy, as world powers take steps to revive stalled talks on Tehran’s nuclear programme.

Israel opposes a restoration of the 2015 agreement that gave Iran sanctions relief in exchange for limits on its nuclear programme.

Lapid will retain his foreign minister title while serving as Israel’s 14th premier. He will find himself under an early microscope, with US President Joe Biden due in Jerusalem in two weeks.

Activists in Sudan have called for mass rallies Thursday to demand the reversal of an October military coup that prompted foreign governments to slash aid, deepening a chronic economic crisis.

The protests come on the anniversary of a previous coup in 1989, which toppled the country’s last elected civilian government and ushered in three decades of iron-fisted rule by Islamist-backed general Omar al-Bashir.

They also come on the anniversary of 2019 protests demanding that the generals, who had ousted Bashir in a palace coup earlier that year, cede power to civilians.

Those protests led to the formation of the mixed civilian-military transitional government which was toppled in last year’s coup.

Security was tight in the capital Khartoum on Thursday despite the recent lifting of a state of emergency imposed after the coup.

An AFP correspondent said internet and phone lines had been disrupted since the early hours, a measure the Sudanese authorities often impose to prevent mass gatherings.

Sudan has been roiled by near-weekly protests as the country’s economic woes have deepened since army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan seized power last year.

More than 100 people have been killed in protest-related violence, according to UN figures, as the military ahs cracked down on the anti-coup movement.

“June 30 is our way to bring down the coup and block the path of any fake alternatives,” said the Forces for Freedom and Change, an alliance of civilian groups whose leaders were ousted in the coup.

Activists have called for “million-strong” rallies to mark the “earthquake of June 30”.

Small-scale demonstrations took place in the run-up to call for a huge turnout on Thursday.

UN special representative Volker Perthes called on the security forces to exercise restraint.

“Violence against protesters will not tolerated,” he said in a statement, adding that nobody should “give any opportunity to spoilers who want to escalate tensions in Sudan”.

The foreign ministry criticised the UN envoy’s comments, saying they were built on “assumptions” and “contradict his role as facilitator” in troubled talks on ending the political crisis.

Alongside the African Union and east African bloc IGAD, the United Nations has been attempting to broker talks between the generals and civilians, but they have been boycotted by all the main civilian factions.

The UN has warned that the deepening economic and political crisis threatens to push one third of the country’s population of more than 40 million towards life-threatening food shortages.

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr on Thursday praised his dictator father’s rule after being sworn in as the country’s new leader, completing a decades-long effort to restore the clan to the country’s highest office.

Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr, 64, won last month’s elections by a landslide, securing the biggest victory since his father and namesake was ousted by a popular revolt in 1986.

He succeeds the hugely popular Rodrigo Duterte, who gained international infamy for his deadly drug war and has threatened to kill suspected dealers after he leaves office. 

In the last act of reviving the family brand, Marcos Jr took the oath in a public ceremony at the National Museum in Manila in front of hundreds of diplomats, dignitaries and supporters.

With his 92-year-old mother Imelda sitting metres away, Marcos Jr praised the late patriarch’s regime, which critics describe as a dark period of human rights abuses and corruption that left the country impoverished.  

“I once knew a man who saw what little had been achieved since independence… but he got it done,” Marcos Jr said after being sworn into office, claiming his father built more roads and produced more rice than his predecessors.

“So will it be with his son. You will get no excuses from me.”

Ahead of the swearing-in, Duterte received Marcos Jr at the riverside Malacanang presidential palace — which the Marcos family fled into exile 36 years ago. 

Duterte, 77, wore a mask and a traditional formal shirt, characteristically unbuttoned at the top and with sleeves rolled up, for the meeting with Marcos Jr, who he once described as “weak”.

The ceremony comes days after the Supreme Court dismissed final attempts to have Marcos Jr disqualified from the election and prevent him taking office.

As rising prices squeeze an economy already ravaged by Covid-19, Marcos Jr has made tackling inflation, boosting growth and ramping up food production his priorities.

He has taken the rare step of appointing himself agriculture secretary to lead the overhaul of the problem-plagued sector.

Marcos Jr has also pledged to defend the Philippines’ rights to the disputed South China Sea, which Beijing claims almost entirely.

He promised Thursday that “we will go very far under my watch” — but has offered scant detail on how he will achieve his goals and few hints about his leadership style after largely shunning media interviews.

– ‘Friends to all, enemy to none’ –

Marcos Jr, who appears to be more polite and businesslike than Duterte, was swept to power with the help of a massive social media misinformation campaign.

Pro-Marcos groups bombarded Filipinos with fake or misleading posts portraying the family in a positive light while ignoring the brutality and theft of billions of dollars from state coffers during the patriarch’s 20-year rule.

Crucial to Marcos Jr’s success was an alliance with Duterte’s daughter Sara, who secured the vice-presidential post with more votes than him, and the backing of rival dynasties.

Many expect Marcos Jr will be less violent and more predictable than the elder Duterte, but activists and clergy fear he could use his victory to entrench himself in power.

“Marcos Jr’s refusal to recognise the abuses and wrongdoings of the past, in fact lauding the dictatorship as ‘golden years’, makes him very likely to continue its dark legacy during his term,” leftist alliance Bayan warned.

Marcos Jr, who previously distanced himself from his father’s rule but not criticised it, last month pledged to “always strive to perfection”.

He has filled most cabinet positions. But the most influential adviser during his six-year term will likely be his wife, Louise, who is widely believed to have run his campaign.

Sergio Ortiz-Luis, president of the Employers Confederation of the Philippines, said the country had a “big chance that we can be moving forward and ahead of the pack” under Marcos Jr.

“We are very optimistic on the quality of the leadership that we have now,” Ortiz-Luis told AFP.

Unlike Duterte, who pivoted away from the United States towards China, Marcos Jr has indicated he will pursue a more balanced relationship with the two superpowers.

Marcos Jr said last month he would adopt a “friends to all, enemy to none” foreign policy. 

But unlike Duterte, he insisted he would uphold an international ruling dismissing Beijing’s claims over the resource-rich South China Sea.

While he has backed Duterte’s drug war, which has killed thousands of mostly poor men, he is not likely to enforce it as aggressively.

“I think the Philippine political elite are ready to move on from a violence-led drug war,” said Greg Wyatt of PSA Philippines Consultancy.

“The drug war attracted enough negative attention.”

Thousands of Afghan religious scholars and tribal elders gathered in the capital Thursday for a men-only meeting the Taliban hope will rubber-stamp their hardline Islamic rule.

Officials have provided scant details of the “jirga” — a traditional gathering of influential people that settles differences by consensus — and the media is also barred from attending.

It comes a week after a powerful earthquake struck the east of the country killing over 1,000 people and leaving tens of thousands homeless.

Even before the quake, the Taliban were struggling to administer a country that had long been in the grip of economic malaise, utterly dependent on foreign aid that dried up with the overthrow of the Western-backed government in August.

Officials from the United States were due to meet senior Taliban leaders in Qatar later Thursday for talks on unlocking some of Afghanistan’s reserves, with Washington seeking ways to ensure the money goes to help the population rather than the Islamist group.

A Taliban source told AFP this week that criticism of the regime would be allowed at the three-day jirga, and thorny issues such as the education of girls — which has divided opinion in the movement — would be discussed.

But women would not be allowed to attend, with deputy Prime Minister Abdul Salam Hanafi telling state broadcaster RTA on Wednesday there was no need because they would be represented by male relatives.

“The women are our mothers and sisters… we respect them a lot,” he said.

“When their sons are in the gathering it means they are also involved.”

– Girls barred from school –

Since the Taliban’s return, secondary school girls have been barred from education while women were dismissed from government jobs, forbidden from travelling alone and ordered to dress in clothing that covers everything but their faces.

They have also outlawed playing non-religious music, banned the portrayal of human figures in advertising, ordered TV channels to stop showing movies and soap operas featuring uncovered women, and told men they should dress in traditional outfits and grow their beards. 

A letter from the prime minister’s office seen by AFP said each of Afghanistan’s more than 400 districts should provide three delegates to the meeting.

Cities, religious groups and other organisations would also be sending representatives, bringing the gathering to over 3,000 — the biggest leadership collective since the Taliban returned to power.

Afghan media is abuzz with speculation that Taliban supreme leader Hibatullah Akhundzada — who has not been filmed or photographed in public since the group returned to power — may attend the gathering.

Only a handful of unverified audio recordings of his speeches have been released since August from Kandahar, the Taliban’s birthplace and spiritual heart.

The Taliban have thrown a dense security blanket over the capital, with roads leading to the jirga venue blocked, or bristling with checkpoints.

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr on Thursday praised his dictator father’s rule after being sworn in as the country’s new leader, completing a decades-long effort to restore the clan to the country’s highest office.

Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr, 64, won last month’s elections by a landslide, securing the biggest victory since his father and namesake was ousted by a popular revolt in 1986.

He succeeds the hugely popular Rodrigo Duterte, who gained international infamy for his deadly drug war and has threatened to kill suspected dealers after he leaves office. 

Marcos Jr took the oath at midday (0400 GMT) in a public ceremony at the National Museum in Manila in front of hundreds of local and foreign dignitaries, and journalists and supporters.

With his 92-year-old mother Imelda sitting metres away, Marcos Jr praised the late patriarch’s regime, which critics describe as a dark period of human rights abuses and corruption.  

“I once knew a man who saw what little had been achieved since independence… He got it done,” Marcos Jr said after being sworn into office, claiming his father built more roads and produced more rice than all of his predecessors combined.

“So will it be with his son. You will get no excuses from me.”

Ahead of the swearing-in, Duterte received Marcos Jr at the Malacanang presidential palace — which the Marcos family fled into exile 36 years ago. 

Duterte, 77, wore a mask and his traditional formal shirt, characteristically unbuttoned at the top and with sleeves rolled up, for the meeting with Marcos Jr, who he once described as “weak”.

The ceremony comes days after the Supreme Court dismissed final attempts to have Marcos Jr disqualified from the election and prevent him taking office.

As rising prices squeeze an economy already ravaged by Covid-19, Marcos Jr has made tackling inflation, boosting growth and ramping up food production his priorities.

He has taken the rare step of appointing himself agriculture secretary to lead the overhaul of the problem-plagued sector.

Marcos Jr has also pledged to defend the Philippines’ rights to the disputed South China Sea, which Beijing claims almost entirely.

But he has offered scant detail on how he will achieve his goals and few hints about his leadership style after largely shunning media interviews.

Pro-Duterte commentator Rigoberto Tiglao wrote recently that he was optimistic for an “economic boom” under Marcos Jr.

Tiglao pointed to the “accomplished academicians” on Marcos Jr’s economic team and the support of “powerful magnates” who will be able to provide him with advice and financial support.

– ‘Friends to all, enemy to none’ –

Marcos Jr, who appears to be more polite and businesslike than Duterte, was swept to power with the help of a massive social media misinformation campaign.

Pro-Marcos groups bombarded Filipinos with fake or misleading posts portraying the family in a positive light while ignoring the brutality and graft of the patriarch’s 20-year rule.

Crucial to Marcos Jr’s success was an alliance with Duterte’s daughter Sara, who secured the vice-presidential post with more votes than him, and the backing of rival dynasties.

Many expect Marcos Jr will be less violent and more predictable than the elder Duterte, but activists and clergy fear he could use his victory to entrench himself in power.

“Marcos Jr’s refusal to recognise the abuses and wrongdoings of the past, in fact lauding the dictatorship as ‘golden years’, makes him very likely to continue its dark legacy during his term,” leftist alliance Bayan warned.

Marcos Jr, who has distanced himself from his father’s rule but not criticised it, last month pledged to “always strive to perfection”.

He has filled most cabinet positions. But the most influential adviser during his six-year term will likely be his wife, Louise, who claims to have no interest in joining his government but is widely believed to have run his campaign.

Sergio Ortiz-Luis, president of the Employers Confederation of the Philippines, said the country had a “big chance that we can be moving forward and ahead of the pack” under Marcos Jr.

“We are very optimistic on the quality of the leadership that we have now,” Ortiz-Luis told AFP.

Unlike Duterte, who pivoted away from the United States towards China, Marcos Jr has indicated he will pursue a more balanced relationship with the two superpowers.

Marcos Jr said last month he would adopt a “friends to all, enemy to none” foreign policy. 

But unlike Duterte, he insisted he would uphold an international ruling against Beijing over the resource-rich South China Sea.

While he has backed Duterte’s drug war, which has killed thousands of mostly poor men, he is not likely to enforce it as aggressively.

“I think the Philippine political elite are ready to move on from a violence-led drug war,” said Greg Wyatt of PSA Philippines Consultancy.

“The drug war attracted enough negative attention.”