Xi urges stronger national identity in HK, Macao

The people of Hong Kong and Macao should deepen their sense of national identity and patriotism to safeguard long-term prosperity and stability of the special administrative regions, President Xi Jinping urged on Tuesday.

Delivering his keynote speech at the closing meeting of the first session of the 13th National People’s Congress in Beijing, Xi said the country will continue to “fully and accurately” implement the principles of “one country, two systems”, “Hong Kong people governing Hong Kong”, “Macao people governing Macao”, with “a high degree of autonomy”.

The president told nearly 3,000 deputies to the NPC that the country’s Constitution and basic laws of the Hong Kong and Macao SARs must be respected in every sphere.

The central government would continue to support the SAR governments and their chief executives in exercising law-based governance, Xi said.

Hong Kong and Macao have the country’s full support to integrate into national development, he said.

Last October, Xi expressed his expectations that Hong Kong people would strengthen their national identity as he delivered his report at the opening of the Communist Party of China’s 19th National Congress.

Moreover, Xi stressed that the country will crush any attempts at separatism. “Every inch of the territory of our great country cannot be separated,” he stated.

Hong Kong’s NPC members welcomed the president’s calls. Wong Yuk-shan, president of the Open University of Hong Kong and a Hong Kong NPC deputy, agreed with Xi’s emphasis on national development and Hong Kong people’s national identity.

Being Chinese, it makes perfect sense to be patriotic, Wong said.

Fellow NPC deputy Ip Kwok-him noted that Xi had shown Hong Kong, Macao and the rest of the world that under “one country, two systems”, there is no room, and the country has “zero tolerance”, for separatism.