HK will thrive together with motherland
In the Government Work Report delivered at the opening of the annual session of the National People’s Congress on Tuesday, Premier Li Keqiang declared that the central government remains committed to implementing the principles of “one country, two systems”, “Hong Kong people governing Hong Kong” and “Macao people governing Macao” with a high degree of autonomy according to the country’s Constitution and the Basic Laws of the two special administrative regions. He also reiterated unwavering support for Hong Kong and Macao to play their unique roles in the Belt and Road Initiative and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area city cluster development, adding “we firmly believe Hong Kong and Macao can and will develop and advance with the mainland together for lasting prosperity and stability”.
The work report states clearly the central government will maintain the principles mentioned above completely and correctly, as it has all these years. That is why the part of the report concerning Hong Kong and Macao is short and succinct. Those principles are part and parcel of China’s basic national strategies and therefore will remain effective as long as is necessary. No other country has the authority to define them or dictate how China carries them out. Besides, given the present global politico-economic situation, there is no better way if at all for Hong Kong and Macao to sustain healthy development than advancing with the mainland side by side by seizing the historical opportunities presented by the BRI and the Bay Area development while integrating their own development into the nation’s overall development strategy.
Speaking of sustained development, Hong Kong has had far more difficulties and challenges to contend with than Macao did for obvious reasons. However, the Hong Kong SAR Government has proved time and again it has what it takes to maintain socio-economic development despite all forms of internal and external obstructions, thanks to unreserved support from the central government as well as the great majority of Hong Kong society. Even so we have no reason to believe various troublemakers will give up in the future, we have total confidence in the Hong Kong SAR’s ability and determination to overcome any kind of obstruction as it emerges, as long as it remains fully committed to abiding by the Basic Law faithfully. That is why Li reaffirms in his report the central authorities’ confidence in Hong Kong and Macao, because they have no reason not to.
Hong Kong has benefited enormously from 40 years of reform and opening-up on the mainland despite numerous attempts by local and outside forces to derail its advancement alongside the motherland’s. This is why we firmly believe integrating its own development into the country’s overall development strategy is the only way for the SAR to stay on the right track of healthy development as noted in the premier’s latest work report.