Flag-raising marks 28th anniversary of the HKSAR’s establishment

Chief Executive John Lee and senior government officials attended a flag-raising ceremony on July 1 to celebrate the 28th anniversary of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region's establishment.

The ceremony was held at Golden Bauhinia Square in Wan Chai, followed by a celebratory reception at Convention & Exhibition Centre.

Speaking at the reception, the Chief Executive said the day marks the 28th anniversary of the establishment of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China and the third anniversary of the current term of the Government. Over the past three years, the Hong Kong SAR Government has forged ahead with reforms to build a safe and stable Hong Kong, and striven to develop the economy and improve people's livelihood.

Amid economic restructuring, Hong Kong is faced with challenges as well as opportunities. With the advantages of the "one country, two systems" principle, the challenges the city faces will be outweighed by the opportunities available, he said. Looking ahead, the SAR Government’s major tasks will cover three areas:

First, to safeguard high-quality development with high-level security. Hong Kong will actively co-ordinate the coherence between security and development. Under the "one country, two systems" principle, Hong Kong will remain steadfast in maintaining national security, fully seize national opportunities and proactively integrate into the overall national development, with a view to fostering economic growth and development while assisting enterprises in upgrading their operations and expanding domestic and overseas sales markets. We will deepen international exchanges and co-operation, explore new markets and opportunities, bolster the provision of extensive supply chain services, expand and strengthen regional trade with the aim of offsetting the risk of over-reliance on a single market in business trade, Mr Lee said. In addition to dedicating our efforts to the development of innovation and technology and expanding digital trade and supporting the development of local enterprises, we will introduce new technologies and industries, and continue to compete for talent and enterprises, further securing our position as an international financial, shipping and trade center, he added.

Second, to speed up the development of the Northern Metropolis. The Northern Metropolis, which takes up around one-third of Hong Kong's area and will later accommodate one-third of our population, is a new engine for the development of Hong Kong. By introducing new concepts and new methods, removing potential barriers and leveraging market forces, we aim to enhance the speed and efficiency of developing the Northern Metropolis, the San Tin Technopole, and the Hong Kong Park of the Hetao Shenzhen-Hong Kong Science & Technology Innovation Co-operation Zone, Mr Lee said. With a focus on industry development and innovative technology, the goal is to attract scientific research talent from around the world and concentrate innovation resources, in order to promote the establishment of Hong Kong as a hub for high-caliber talent and drive the overall development of Hong Kong.

Third, to improve people's livelihood proactively. Our policy objective is to make Hong Kong a better place for living and working – for people to enjoy better living and accommodation, for young people to fully realize their potential, and for the elderly to be well taken care of, Mr Lee said.

Amid an ever‑changing geopolitical landscape and constantly increasing uncertainties, Hong Kong is able to showcase exactly to the world the certainties of safety, stability and development opportunities. These are precisely what the world needs and seeks. Hong Kong is a place where national and global opportunities converge, the Chief Executive concluded.