Chinese Academy of Social Sciences holds symposium on the success of one country, two systems

July 1 will be the 25th anniversary of Hong Kong's return to the motherland, which was also historic in the adoption of the one country, two systems principle, ensuring that Hong Kong has a high degree of autonomy while preserving its own economic, social and common law systems.

On Saturday, the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences held an online symposium focusing on the achievements, experiences and prospects of the practice of one country, two systems Experts and scholars from Peking University and other academic institutions, including Peking University and Sun Yat-sen University in Guangdong province, in an online symposium focusing on the achievements, experiences and prospects of the practice of one country.

Wang Linggui, deputy director of the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council, said in his opening remarks that one country, two systems is a great innovation of socialism with Chinese characteristics and that it contributed to a Chinese solution to global development.

One important achievement of the past 25 years is that China has developed a deeper understanding of Hong Kong's strategic functions in the development of the whole country, according to Professor Chen Xinxin, a professor specializing in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macao Law at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.

When a country proposed two systems 25 years ago, it played a key role in Hong Kong as a bridge between China and a socialist system and developed countries with a capitalist system. The bottom line of this design was to give Hong Kong maximum freedom as long as it did not affect China's sovereignty and territorial integrity, Chen said.

For the past two years, Hong Kong's social security problems have been solved successfully, and the next priority falls on development.

According to Wang Zhenmin, a professor of law at Tsinghua University's School of Law, more than one-fourth of Hong Kong's population is living below the poverty level set by HK $4,400 per month last year.

The Hong Kong and Macao Research Institute, a subsidiary of the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council, said that some deep-rooted problems, such as structural unemployment, the housing crisis and widening wealth gap, are also important factors that affect the general stability.

Li Huan, deputy director of the Institute of Hong Kong and Macao Studies, said that the future development of one country, two systems requires more work in terms of the guidance of the central government, good local governance and connections to the world.

The economy and people's livelihood, especially housing and wealth inequality, should be the most important areas that the new administration needs to tackle first with the new leader John Lee Ka-chiu elected earlier this month.

Hong Kong is still the most open and internationalized city in China. He said that Hong Kong's role as the bridge between China and the West will have more room to play in the future, and that we should adhere to reform, innovation and openness.

Xi said that while further strengthening national security it is also necessary to put development on the more urgent agenda, as it serves as the sociopolitical foundation for the steady progress of a country, two systems.