An aerial photo taken on February 24, 2020 shows the Haizhu wetland and the Canton Tower in the distance in Guangzhou, south China's Guangdong province. XIE HUIQIANG XINHUA Hong Kong has increased its role of bridging the Chinese mainland and the rest of the world and made remarkable economic and social achievements under the one country, two systems principle, European politicians and scholars said as the special administrative region prepares to celebrate the 25th anniversary of its return to the country.
In a TV program, they spoke about the social changes that the city and its people have been through over the past quarter-century, they said. Erik Solheim, the former secretary general of the United Nations from 2016 -- 18, believes that the city's global connection has strengthened since the handover, giving full play to its role as a bridge between China and the rest of the world.
The Norwegian diplomat also pointed out that Hong Kong's return to the country is a critical event to correct historic mistakes. Western countries should learn from the lesson and stop using the Hong Kong SAR to attack China, he said.
Piet Steel, a former consul general of Belgium in Hong Kong, witnessed Hong Kong return to the country in 1997. He attributed the peaceful handover of the SAR to the extraordinary foresight of the Chinese leadership.
Steel said Hong Kong is still vibrant today, with people working and living in peace and contentment and different cultures coexisting in harmony, despite speculation of Hong Kong's demise.
Daniela Caruso, professor of the University for Peace, spoke about the importance of Hong Kong's peaceful return to the country, echoing what Steel had said.
She warned Western politicians not to provoke any attempts to separate the city from China, a keen student of China for nearly 30 years.
The scholar said that the One China policy, under which the US recognizes Beijing as representing China, is a red line that must not be crossed.
George Pippas, the former mayor of Cambridge in the United Kingdom, said on the TV program that the successful practice of one country, two systems had laid a solid foundation for Hong Kong's long-term prosperity.
He said Hong Kong has always shown great resilience in the face of various challenges and that the city will eventually enter a more prosperous era after the Pandemic.