New status given for ‘one country, two systems’
The report General Secretary Xi Jinping delivered to the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China spells out the new status of “one country, two systems” in the Party’s work, said Wang Zhimin, director of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.
Wang noted that in the report, “one country, two systems” has been included as part of the basic policy for applying the Party’s Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era.
Wang, who is in Beijing as a delegate to the CPC National Congress, made the remarks in a newspaper interview on Sunday.
He said the CPC has been deepening its understanding of “one country, two systems” since Hong Kong’s return to the motherland and its reintegration into the country’s governance system.
He pointed out that the deepened understanding could be demonstrated through policy directions concerning the Hong Kong and Macao SARs, which had been rolled out in important CPC documents in the past two decades.
In the report Xi delivered at the opening session of the 19th CPC National Congress last Wednesday, upholding “one country, two systems” was highlighted as part of what it takes to have a good grasp of the essence and rich implications of the Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era and to fully and faithfully apply the thought.
The changes in the phrases outlining the CPC’s policy toward Hong Kong and Macao SARs over the years have showed that the latest report has placed “one country, two systems” in a new position in the Party’s overall work and the nation’s overall development, Wang concluded.
He added that a more macro perspective should be adopted to view the current development of the country and of the Hong Kong SAR, as well as to devise plans for the future, since socialism with Chinese characteristics has entered into a new era.
Wang urged Hong Kong people to cherish, safeguard, consolidate and enhance the SAR’s hard-earned, favorable development momentum. He also encouraged people in the city to actively seize the opportunities presented by the new era, and join the country’s overall development and national rejuvenation.
Starry Lee Wai-king, legislator
and chairwoman of the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong, agreed with Wang.
She said Hong Kong should adjust its development with a vision to achieve better integration into the country’s development.
With the strong support from the country, Hong Kong should hold onto opportunities brought by the Belt and Road Initiative and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.
Geng Chunya, president of the Hong Kong Association of Mainland Graduates, said the CPC has made it clear to include Hong Kong and Macao into the country’s development. This would enhance the mobility of young people in the two SARs.