HK has active role in helping develop nation, stresses Lee

Wallis Wang

Hong Kong is an active participant and contributor to national development instead of a bystander, Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu said after a seminar to promote the spirit of the third plenary session of the 20th Chinese Communist Party Central Committee.

Speaking after the two-hour seminar attended by more than 500 people, Lee said the third plenary session in Beijing last month supported the development of Hong Kong and Macau as hubs for international high-end talent - and SAR authorities will take measures to achieve the goal.

Hong Kong is a highly international, law-based and commercialized city and has the advantage of attracting talent, Lee said.

He said the government has allocated a lot of resources to education and the city cultivates tens of thousands of quality graduates every year, which can contribute to the development of advanced industries in Hong Kong, the Greater Bay Area, and the whole country.

Lee said the SAR plays an irreplaceable and important role in the further reform and opening up of the country, and should actively participate in the modernization of the national governance system.

"We should serve as a super-connector for Chinese modernization in the spirit of reform and innovation," he said.

Shen Chunyao, vice chairman of the Constitution and Law Committee of the National People's Congress and chairman of the Legislative Affairs Commission of the NPC Standing Committee, said the theme of the third plenary session was to further deepen reform and promote Chinese-style modernization.

Shen added that the SAR has made institutional progress in safeguarding national security.

Minister of Commerce Wang Wentao said Hong Kong has obvious advantages as an international financial center and the central government fully supports the high-quality development of its financial industry.

wallis.wang@singtaonewscorp.com