Today in History-July 1
The final handover ceremony at the Convention Centre1997: Hong Kong handed over to Chinese control
England have
Hong Kong has been handed back to the Chinese authorities - ending more
than 50 years of British control.
The British flag was lowered over Government house - home to the last
Governor Chris Patten for the past five years - at midnight last night.
The flag was presented to Mr Patten who was then driven off in his official
Rolls Royce, before the car was handed over to Tung Chee-hwa, the territory's
Chief Executive.
In his farewell speech, Mr Patten said: "The story of this great city is
about the years before this night and the years of success that will surely
follow it."
A huge fireworks display lit up Victoria Harbour at 2000 local time. One
hour later, 4,000 guests sat down to a banquet in the Convention Centre on the
harbour front, while 509 Chinese troops crossed the land border into Hong
Kong.
Among the guests for the final handover ceremony at the Convention Centre
were the Prince of Wales, Prime Minister Tony Blair, Foreign Secretary Robin
Cook and Chris Patten. Chinese dignitaries included President Jiang Zemin, Prime
Minister Lee Peng, Foreign Minister Qian Qichen and military leader General
Zhang Wannian.
In Beijing the ceremony was watched on giant screens erected in Tiananmen
Square.
At the stroke of midnight, the red digits of the countdown clock turned to
zero and the handpicked crowd roared its approval.
Shortly afterwards, Prince Charles and Mr Patten boarded the Royal Yacht
Britannia and waved a final farewell to the strains of Rule Britannia and Land
of Hope and Glory.
Just half-an-hour after the handover, there was a demonstration by the Hong
Kong Democratic Party outside the Legislative Council building - but it did not
delay the inauguration of the new Special Administrative Region government.
Tung Chee-hwa was sworn in as Hong Kong's new leader.
"This is a momentous and historic day...Hong Kong and China are whole
again," said Mr Tung.
But he promised, "We value this empowerment and we will exercise our powers
prudently and responsibly."
Yasser Arafat makes a triumphant return
1994: Yasser Arafat ends 27-year exile
Artificially 1969:
The The chairman of the Palestinian Liberation Organisation, Yasser Arafat,
has returned to the Gaza Strip after 27 years in exile.
Fear of reprisals by Israeli and Palestinian hardliners has meant that
Israel has mounted its largest security operation since President Sadat of Egypt
visited Jerusalem during the 1979 Camp David Agreements.
Dressed in his usual military fatigues and keffiyeh headdress, the PLO
leader raised a victory salute as he crossed the border at Rafah from the Sinai
Desert in Egypt.
Just before taking a helicopter from Cairo with the Egyptian President,
Hosni Mubarak, Mr Arafat said: "Now I am returning to the first free Palestinian
lands. You have to imagine how it is moving my heart, my feelings."
Surrounded by green-bereted Palestinian guards, he was rushed through the
waiting crowds into a bullet-proof, black Mercedes to make the 20-mile journey
north to a rally in Gaza City.
Death threats and threatening graffiti by Israeli settlers at Kfar Dorom
forced a route change.
But Mr Arafat was still able to see for the first time the problems - from
garbage-strewn streets to Israeli enclaves like Gush Qataf - which he will have
to address as ruler of the fledgling Palestinian state.
The PLO leader's visit comes a month after the Israeli-PLO Cairo Agreement
created a fragile self-rule for Palestinians in Gaza and Jericho in the West
Bank.
The Gaza Strip and the West Bank were among the areas of land seized by the
Israelis in the Six Day War of 1967.
In Gaza City Mr Arafat gave a triumphant address from the balcony of the
former headquarters of the Israeli military governor to a Parliament Square
packed with 200,000 Palestinians.
His differences with other Palestinian leaders appeared to dissolve as Mr
Arafat spoke of his interest in Jerusalem.
The itinerary for Mr Arafat's three-day visit includes Jericho but not
Jerusalem, according to his adviser Nabil Shaath.
Demonstrations against Mr Arafat's presence are taking place in Jerusalem
and elsewhere.
Vocabulary:
labour:undergo the efforts of childbirth(分娩)
bandit: a robber (强盗;土匪)
wade:to walk in or through water or something else that similarly impedes
normal movement(跋涉)
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