Chinese President Xi Jinping has departed Hong Kong, ending his three day visit to the city to mark twenty years since the territory was handed over to the People's Republic from the British.
His visit was aimed at stirring Chinese patriotism, and prompted a massive police presence in the face of widespread pro-democracy demonstrations. Protesters, who clashed frequently with police and counter-protesters, fear Beijing's ruling Communist Party is increasing its control over the affairs of the territory, which is a global financial and cultural capital.
Xi was seen off at Hong Kong's airport by the semi-autonomous city-state's new leader, Carrie Lam, whose inauguration he presided over hours earlier. Ms. Lam's selection was criticized by many in Hong Kong as fundamentally undemocratic, involving just a tiny portion of the more than 3 million voters in the city-state.
Schoolchildren wearing red baseball caps and waving Chinese flags lined both sides of the red carpet laid out for Xi and his wife, Peng Liyuan, as they walked to their Air China jet.
Xi left the city after he delivered a speech warning that pro-democracy activities in Hong Kong seen as threats against China's sovereignty would be "absolutely impermissible.''