Xi arrives in Hong Kong for 25th anniversary of handover

It is Xis first trip outside of mainland China in nearly 2 years.Supporters at the train station waving Chinese and Hong Kong flags chanted Welcome, welcome

Chinese leader Xi Jinping arrived in Hong Kong ahead of the 25th anniversary of the British handover and after a two-year transformation brought the city more tightly under Communist Party control. It is Xi's first trip outside of mainland China in nearly 2 ½ years.

Supporters at the train station waving Chinese and Hong Kong flags chanted "Welcome, welcome! Warm welcome!" as Xi's train pulled into the station on Thursday.

Xi is expected to speak about Hong Kong's future at a ceremony Friday marking the return of the former British colony to Chinese rule on July 1, 1997.

Under his leadership, China has reshaped Hong Kong in the past two years, cracking down on protest and freedom of speech and introducing a more patriotic curriculum in schools. The changes have all but eliminated opposition voices and driven many to leave.

Hong Kong and nearby Macao are special administrative regions that are governed separately from the rest of China, known as the Chinese mainland.

Xi has not left China since the COVID-19 pandemic took hold. China has maintained a strict "zero-COVID" policy that aims to keep the virus out. Xi's last overseas trip was to Myanmar in January 2020.