HONG KONG, July 6: China’s Vice President Xi Jinping arrived in Hong Kong on Sunday on a three-day trip to monitor the city’s preparations for hosting the Olympic equestrian events for the Beijing 2008 Games.

The southern Chinese city has built state-of-the-art facilities for next month’s Games after the equestrian events were switched from Beijing because of fears of disease.

Xi will inspect the facilities, which include new “six-star” stables and a pleasure park, during his first visit to HK since joining China’s central government.

“I came to Hong Kong this time to inspect the progress of Hong Kong’s preparations for the 2008 Olympic and Paralympic equestrian events,” Xi told reporters on arriving here Sunday.

“At the same time, I want to experience myself the changes of Hong Kong 11 years after its reunification with China.”

Xi met Hong Kong Chief Executive Donald Tsang on Sunday, whose popularity has slid since his controversial appointment of highly-paid political aides in June.

He told Tsang the country’s focus was to convert the “great spirit” behind the nationwide effort to help the victims of the Sichuan earthquake.—AFP