Chinese leader Hu Jintao avoided the touchy issue of democracy Friday as he began his first presidential trip to Hong Kong to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the former British colony's return to China. After stepping off the plane on a rain-soaked tarmac, Hu walked past a line of flag-waving children and told reporters he was happy with Hong Kong's progress in the last decade. «I'm even more confident about Hong Kong's future,» he added in a brief speech. Security was tight for Hu's three-day trip, and a wall of police blocked a group of about 20 pro-democracy protesters from marching to Hong Kong leader Donald Tsang's residence, where Hu was to have dinner, the Associated Press reported. Hu's itinerary includes banquets, a visit to a new panda exhibit, a variety show and Sunday's hand-over ceremony. Hong Kong was handed back to China on July 1, 1997, after being ruled by the British for 156 years. The deal gave the city a wide degree of autonomy under a «one country, two systems» formula.
