HK youth called on to embrace Chinese dream
Former CE says youth should learn more about B&R countries
The central government’s top liaison official in Hong Kong stressed that the country has given great emphasis to the city as the “one country, two systems” principle has been raised to a basic national governance policy after a key congress of the country’s ruling party.
Delivering his keynote speech in Hong Kong at the 2017 Boao Youth Forum for Asia on Thursday, Director of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Wang Zhimin hoped the city’s youth could integrate their dreams into the vast Chinese dream.
The 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China greatly emphasized Hong Kong as the congress’s resolution lifted “one country, two systems” to one of the fundamental policies in the Party’s guiding principle in the new era of development — the Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era.
This showed Hong Kong has entered a new stage and secured its new position 20 years after the city’s return to the motherland, Wang stressed.
He stressed when reading the congress report one should not only focus on the chapters about Hong Kong, but think about the city’s role in the nation’s development and seek a better future for the youth.
During his talk, he mentioned Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor’s promise in her maiden Policy Address to engage with young people and increase their participation in politics in the next five years.
I hope Hong Kong’s young people can merge their individual careers into the nation’s development and integrate their dreams into the Chinese dream.” Wang Zhimin, director of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
Wang saw that as an opportunity of upward mobility for the younger generation; he hopes young people in Hong Kong would seek to develop themselves along with the country.
He believed a prosperous Hong Kong would offer favorable opportunities for young people. And the betterment of the young people would, in return, boost the city’s development, Wang said. He hoped the city’s young people can merge their individual careers into the nation’s development and integrate their dream into the Chinese dream.
Wang also said the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area should become the homeland and a paradise for the city’s young people to start their businesses.
Leung Chun-ying, former Hong Kong chief executive and current vice-chairman of the top national political advisory body, encouraged young Hong Kong people to see more of the world, especially developing countries along the Belt and Road.
Speaking at the 2017 Boao Youth Forum for Asia on Thursday, the vice-chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference said the city’s young people should “go out” to broaden their horizons and observe the rapid growth of other countries.
Leung suggested Hong Kong secondary schools send students to visit devel- oping countries along the Belt and Road. They could learn about businesses in those countries run by entrepreneurs from the Chinese mainland and Hong Kong.
That is how young people can discover the growth these countries will achieve after participating in China’s B&R Initiative, Leung said. He voiced his hopes that young people will share their experiences and views with others. This will help t hem make greater contributions for the country.
Also speaking at the forum, former prime minister of Pakistan Shaukat Aziz said the B&R Initiative proposed by President Xi Jinping had se t a new standard of global cooperation.
He called the initiative “a game changer”, as the improvement of infrastructure and better connectivity between the B&R countries would bring higher economic growth to all.
He also emphasized the importance of education for youth development, which will provide more talents in innovation and technology in B&R construction.
The two former leaders’ calls were echoed by entrepreneur representatives at the forum. They said the city’s young people should utilize current technological achievements to embrace the opportunities and challenges brought by the nation’s development strategies.
Vice-President of internet giant Tencent, Jim Lai Chi-ming, said the mainland’s leading mobile payment markets could help create new business models in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area through further financial cooperation with Hong Kong.
Zhou Jinting, chairman of Shanghai Hefu Artificial Intelligence Group, agreed with him, saying young people in Hong Kong should use the newest technological achievements and contribute to development of the Greater Bay Area.
Lee Ying-ho, QFPay’s founder and chief executive, born and raised i n Hong Kong, now manages his own mobile payment business around the country. Lee said Hong Kong’s youngsters should try to immerse themselves in the mainland way of life when doing business there. This will help them understand and meet the market’s demands, he said.
Young people should ‘go out’ to broaden their horizons and observe the rapid growth of other countries.”
Leung Chun-ying, former chief executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and now vice-chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference