This March 6, 2021 aerial photo shows citizens displaying the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region's national flag and the flag of China in support of the principle of patriots administering Hong Kong at Tamar Park in Hong Kong. LI GANG XINHUA Hong Kong is poised to boost its economy, improve its competitiveness, and address urgent livelihood issues as the one country, two systems policy has entered a new phase, officials said on Friday at a high-level legal forum.
The forum, centering on the importance of the Basic Law and one country, two systems for Hong Kong, is one of a series of legal forums held by the city's Department of Justice to mark the 25th anniversary of Hong Kong return to the motherland.
Since its establishment, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region has had a lot of turbulent times, but with the full support of the central government and the unique advantage of one country, two systems it has maintained long-term prosperity and stability and achieved remarkable results, Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngorCheng Yuet-ngor said at the event.
Lam told the forum attendees that one country is always the foundation of two systems and that there is a need for Hong Kong to fully leverage the strength of two systems. In the last five years, Hong Kong has had the greatest challenges since the handover, when national security faced serious threats. She added that the lessons learned during the social unrest in 2019 showed that two systems, if they were not the original intention of one country, would have disastrous consequences for Hong Kong.
A series of achievements in Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council have shown that one country, two systems is the best solution and institutional arrangement for dealing with the issues of Hong Kong and Macao, and is workable, feasible, and widely supported, according to Wang Ling-gui, deputy director of the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council.
With the implementation of the National Security Law for Hong Kong and the improvements in the electoral system in Hong Kong, one country, two systems have kicked off a new stage in Hong Kong.
He expects government officials and different social sectors to take advantage of the favorable conditions, closely integrating into national development and improving the quality of life in Hong Kong.
Speaking at the full-day forum was Chen Dong, deputy director of the Liaison Office of the Central People s Government in the HKSAR. In order to fully implement the Basic Law, Hong Kong must firmly adhere to the one country principle and give full play to the advantages of the two systems. The forum also has panel discussions with social dignitaries from various sectors, including legal, business, academia, and politics.