Hong Kong residents commemorated 10 years under Chinese rule on Sunday as fireworks exploded, boats blasted red smoke, Chinese president Hu Jintao swore in Hong Kong’s chief for another term and protesters called for democracy. It seems the anniversary was more of a celebration for mainland China, a nation that in the past decade has failed to win the hearts of Hong Kong residents, who generally still resist considering themselves as part of China. A decade after the end of the 156-year British rule, Hong Kong still has not been granted full democracy. According to its post-handover constitution, China will steer Hong Kong toward a popular democracy, though Beijing has refused to indicate when this will happen. Hu said over the weekend that in Hong Kong, “democracy is growing in an orderly way.” On Sunday, nearly 20,000 pro-democracy protesters hit the streets waving signs and chanting “one person, one vote.” Hu returned to Beijing before the mass protest on Sunday. As Beijing tries to force Chinese patriotism onto Hong Kong’s 7 million residents, a decade later, Hong Kongers still view themselves as distinct from mainland China and look to the next ten years to achieve substantial democratic reform.

•NYT: Hong Kong Marks Decade Under China
•Bloomberg: Hong Kong in 10 Years Since China Handover and Before: Timeline

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