In a show of China's authority over its Special Administrative Region on the 10th anniversary since handover, Donald Tsang has been sworn in for a second term as chief executive by China's president Hu Jintao, who has visited Hong Kong for the first time since taking office.

As Radio Australia's Sen Lam reports, in a speech for the occasion, President Hu has warned against any move to challenge the "one country, two systems" regime, saying it would not be tolerated.

He says any move towards universal suffrage and democracy must be slow and steady, but therein lies the contention for many pro-democracy supporters who believe that change in Hong Kong is too slow.

A reported 60,000 people took part in a peaceful protest rally through the streets on July 1.

Hong Kong's former deputy leader, Anson Chan, and Cardinal Joseph Zen, the head of the Catholic Church in the territory, were among the high-profile figures joining Sunday's demonstration.

However, organisers have said they felt let down after President Hu left Hong Kong before the start of the rally.

The weekend, however, ended with spectacular fireworks displays on Sunday night across the harbour - a traditional sight for any and all occasion.

Handover 1997 a nervous event

At the time of the handover from the British, nobody really knew what would happen within the first few months, let alone the first few years.

China had called the British rule of Hong Kong an embarrassment and a century of hardship, but the then-president Jiang Zemin promised that once Hong Kong was handed back, the Hong Kong people could decide their future under Chinese rule.

There is no doubt that Beijing's interpretation of the timetable for universal suffrage in Hong Kong, as provided for in the Basic Law, continues to generate angst and debate even 10 years on.

Martin Lee is the founding chairman of the Democratic Party, a pro-democracy political party in Hong Kong.

He is also a Member of the Legislative Council of Hong Kong, or Legco.

Mr Lee has marked the handover with warnings to visiting Chinese leaders that they should acknowledge the Hong Kong peoples' differences.

For all those it effected - the Hong Kong people who remained, including those of British origin, and the mainland Chinese - celebrating the handing back has brought with it a mixed bag of feelings.

Cardinal Zen offers to help Vatican-China relations

The outspoken leader of Hong Kong's Catholic Church, Cardinal Joseph Zen, says 10 years of Chinese rule have eaten away at the territory's freedoms.

Cardinal Zen has called for China to recognise the Catholic Church on the mainland.

He has told Radio Australia's Sen Lam, however, he is prepared to retire and to foster better relations between China and the Vatican.

"I have asked to be relieved of the office of Hong Kong to dedicate myself to the church in China," he said.

"And what I can contribute is to advise the Holy See, because when they negotiate they must know the real situation with the church."

The 75-year-old cardinal has been a fierce critic of China's recognised church, the Chinese Catholic Patriotic Association.

He hopes the high leaders "come to know the real situation and to understand that without real religious freedom and real normalisation, the actual situation is to nobody's advantage."

Cardinal Zen believes that the official church in China is made up of many good bishops and priests but unfortunately, he says, they are not free.

Emily Lau on 10 years of Chinese rule

A full-time member of Legco since 1991, Emily Lau is currently the convenor of The Frontier, a pro-democracy political group in Hong Kong.

In an interview with Sen Lam, Ms Lau said she is staunchly proud of her Chinese heritage and has great frustration with Beijing's attitude towards her.

"Well, I'm Chinese but I regret very much that I am banned by the Chinese government," she said.

If they treat me like that, it's very difficult for me to come up with very warm feelings."

Leaders in China seem content to allow Ms Lau to continue her protestations and her pro-democracy work in Hong Kong, but she says that she is censored.

"In the past few weeks, I have been talking to many foreign journalists," she said.

"One Japanese journalist asked me 'have you been talking to any local journalists?' I said the answer is no, zero, not a single local journalist has come to talk to me about the 10th anniversary.

"I think people want stability and prosperity and they want democracy and human rights, and they are not mutually exclusive.

"That is the message we want to get to Beijing."

Compiled by Radio Australia News' Jill Scanlon using material from reports by the Connect Asia program team in Hong Kong leading up to the July 1, 2007, anniversary.