HK chief executive hails key Party congress

Special: 20th CPC National Congress

Leading officials in Hong Kong said on Sunday that the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China was an uplifting and milestone event that will guide the city's development in the years to come.

John Lee Ka-chiu, chief executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, said that an accurate understanding of the congress will be beneficial to the steady and sustained implementation of "one country, two systems".

"It will also help us better integrate into the nation's development, concentrate on developing the economy, improve livelihoods and build a brighter Hong Kong," Lee said in a social media post.

His remarks came after the newly elected members of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, led by Xi Jinping, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, met with the media on Sunday.

Lee said that the congress report, which expounded on "one country, two systems", serves as an action guide for Hong Kong to march to order and prosperity. The new ideas, concepts and strategies laid down in the report point the way forward for the city, he added.

Congratulating the CPC on the successful convening of the congress, which concluded on Saturday, Lee said he was deeply moved by Xi's call for the nation to forge ahead.

With the central government's full support and the unique strength of "one country, two systems", Lee pledged to unite Hong Kong society to build a caring, vigorous and united city for the people's well-being.

Principal officials of the Hong Kong SAR government, including Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po, Secretary for Justice Lam Ting-kwok and Secretary for Security Chris Tang Ping-keung, also offered their congratulations on the successful conclusion of congress, saying it has set the direction for uniting the city to advance its integration into national development.

Chan called on the city to seize the historic opportunities arising from the congress so that Hong Kong can put its economy back on track and contribute to the nation by leveraging its strengths to meet the country's needs. Tang said the successful convening of the congress has united minds, reinforced confidence and set the direction for Hong Kong, while also boosting people's morale.

Luo Huining, director of the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, said the report delivered at the congress brought forward a number of new ideas and strategies on "one country, two systems", and highlighted the great deal of attention that the CPC Central Committee attaches to the cause of "one country, two systems".

Community leaders, including lawmaker Yiu Pak-leung, who is also the chairman of China Travel Service (Hong Kong), and Nick Chan Hiu-fung, a solicitor who is also director of the AALCO Hong Kong Regional Arbitration Centre, also vowed to work in solidarity to deepen the city's integration into the nation's development.

They said the Party's unwavering support for the implementation of "one country, two systems", as well as Hong Kong's economy and its people's improved livelihoods, has created a better environment for the city to integrate into the nation's development and maintain its long-term stability and prosperity.

Other groups, including the Hong Kong Federation of Trade Unions and the Hong Kong Chinese Importers' and Exporters' Association, also expressed confidence in the newly elected central leadership, saying that China will chart a new course toward its great rejuvenation.