Symbol of dissent: Pro-democracy activist Jason Chao in Macau said both the Chinese and Macau governments were reluctant to listen to the voices of the people. Photo: AFP

Macau: China's President Xi Jinping has visited a drizzly Macau for the 15th anniversary of the gambling hub's return to Chinese rule, with onlookers barred from using umbrellas – the emblem of democracy protests in nearby Hong Kong.

The two-day trip to the former Portuguese enclave comes just days after Hong Kong police cleared the last of three camps where protesters had spent nearly three months demanding free leadership elections for the city.

In the spirit of Hong Kong's Occupy movement which gripped the city from late September, hundreds of pro-democracy protesters were planning a march on Saturday from Macau's historic city centre. Authorities were on guard for signs of dissent, with reporters on the airport tarmac waiting for Mr Xi not allowed to hold umbrellas, and handed raincoats instead.

Shielded from protesters: Chinese President Xi Jinping gives a speech during his visit to Macau. Photo: Reuters

"They said you couldn't open umbrellas at the airport because it would affect the flights," a Hong Kong-based reporter who was among up to 40 journalists at the scene.

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Another reporter said airport authorities had explained it was too windy to safely unfurl an umbrella – a symbol of the Hong Kong democracy movement after protesters used them to shield themselves from police pepper spray.

And despite the light rain, no one in the official receiving party used them either.

However, dozens of enthusiastic elementary school pupils braved the cold weather to wave Chinese and Macau flags, and posies of flowers, to greet Mr Xi.

"I believe that under the one country two systems and the Basic Law, Macau definitely will be increasingly stable and better as time passes," the leader told reporters after stepping off the plane, referring to the territory's semi-autonomous status.

A handful of protesters holding umbrellas were stopped by police in the afternoon when they attempted to walk to where Mr Xi was staying.

"Why does such a powerful authority have to be afraid of a simple symbol of the yellow umbrella?" pro-democracy activist Jason Chao asked. "The message is clear, both the Chinese and the Macau government are reluctant to seriously listen to the voices of the people."

Several Hong Kong activists were reportedly turned back at Macau's ferry terminal as they held up yellow umbrellas and a large yellow banner which read "I want real universal suffrage, have you received the message, Xi Jinping?"

Macau is the only part of China where casino gambling is legal and has become a paradise for high rollers. But casino revenues have plunged as China's big spenders were hit by a graft crackdown as well as a slumping mainland economy. Earlier this month a top Chinese official for Hong Kong and Macau, Li Fei, warned the territory to reconsider its dependence on gambling.

AFP