Hundreds of members of the Falun Gong spiritual movement staged protests in Hong Kong yesterday as the Chinese President, Mr Jiang Zemin, arrived to address a global economic forum.
More than 3,000 police were drafted in as members of the spiritual movement - banned in mainland China - publicly blamed the Chinese President for the campaign against them. The Falun Gong demonstrations took place at specially approved sites. The group has used Hong Kong as a base for its campaign to be legalised in China, which outlawed the movement in July 1999.
Human rights groups claimed yesterday that immigration officials had barred at least 100 suspected Falun Gong followers from the United States, Australia and Taiwan from entering Hong Kong in recent days to stop them from joining in the protest.
The protesters unfurled banners at sites approved by the police away from the conference building. One read: "Jiang Zemin cannot shirk responsibility for the persecution of Falun Gong." It was stamped with images of alleged Falun Gong members imprisoned in mainland China.
They called for the release of political prisoners and an end to China's one-party communist rule.
Determined not to allow the violent protests that have marred other international economic meetings in recent years, police worked round the clock to seal off the harbour-front conference venue and strictly control where and how many protesters could demonstrate.
During his address to the forum, attended by 700 business leaders and politicians, President Zemin said his government was adamant in its support of the "one country, two systems" formula, which granted Hong Kong special rights after the end of British rule in 1997.
President Zemin also said that China's entry into the WTO would instil new vitality into the economic growth of China as well as other countries and regions in Asia and beyond. He held out the prospect of rich opportunities for world businesses after the WTO deal, saying China would continue to "develop its foreign trade vigorously".
"China's stance remains the same. Following its entry into the (WTO) organisation, China will steadily expand its opening up programme in terms of commodities and services trade," he said.
President Zemin was on his first visit to Hong Kong following the hand-over five years ago and was accompanied by his wife and the Chinese Vice-Premier, Qian Qichen.
The former US president, Mr Bill Clinton, will address the two-day economic forum tomorrow.