MACAU/HONG KONG: Chinese President Xi Jinping warned outsiders to keep out of Hong Kong and Macau affairs on Friday (Dec 20) during the celebrations for the 20th anniversary of the former Portuguese colony's return to Chinese rule.



"I want to stress here that, after the return of Hong Kong and Macau to the motherland, the affairs of the two special administrative regions are completely China's internal affairs, which need no finger-pointing from any external forces," Xi said at a reception dinner attended by 600 dignitaries.



His comments put the spotlight on Hong Kong's embattled leader Carrie Lam, who continues to face criticism from Beijing for failing to deal with anti-government protests that have lasted six months so far.



The protests were sparked when Lam introduced a controversial extradition bill that could have seen local dissidents tried in mainland courts, where the rule of law is much weaker than in Hong Kong.



Hong Kong's current political crisis is directly linked to earlier protests that started in 2012 with the proposal of a compulsory "national education" curriculum in Hong Kong.



The public outcry that followed continued to build momentum during the 2014 umbrella movement pro-democracy protests that sought universal suffrage for the semi-autonomous city.



In contrast, Xi commended the Macau government on Friday for working in unison with the mainland authorities to co-edit school textbooks to promote a Chinese nationalist curriculum.



"The great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation will not be stopped. The path of common development and prosperity of Hong Kong, Macau and the mainland will be even wider," Xi said in a statement issued by China's main news portal, Xinhua News.



Xi's three-day trip to Macau included a tour of a school, where he was greeted by students and local government officials, as well as an elaborate gala, which kicked off with traditional lion dances and Xi singing the "Ode to the Motherland" with performers.



Xi praised the Macau government for the way it has gone about implementing the so-called "one country, two systems" principle that grants the two returned former European colonies a wide degree of autonomy for a decades-long transitional period until Beijing assumes direct control.



Xi highlighted Macau's love for the motherland, the functioning of the executive-led system and social cohesion through inclusiveness and harmony as some of the semi-autonomous region's attributes that have put it on the right track. - Agencies/dpa/ANN

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