Together With Hong Kong

July 1， 2017 marked the 20th anniversary of Hong Kongs return to China. President Xi Jinping visited Hong Kong from June 29 to July 1 to attend celebrations marking the anniversary and the inauguration of the fi fthterm government of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region （SAR）. During the visit， President Xi had extensive and in-depth communication with local people from all walks of life.

The significance of the visit is selfevident—declaring to Hong Kong and the international community the Central Governments policies and strategies on governing Hong Kong and demonstrating the Central Governments determination to persist with the “one country， two systems”policy.

In the past 20 years， Hong Kong has maintained economic prosperity and social stability， with great steps forward in various causes. According to the World Competitiveness Yearbook 2017 issued by the Lausanne-based International Institute for Management Development， Hong Kong was voted as the worlds most competitive economy for two consecutive years since 2016. The “one country， two systems”policy has achieved widely recognized success.

However， the policy has also encountered some new problems， such as calls for“Hong Kong independence.” Some of the problems were unavoidable during the historical transition， some erupted during the implementation and operation of a new governing system， and some resulted from long- existing internal confl icts in Hong Kong and the changing external environment. These problems， if not properly tackled， will affect Hong Kongs economic and social progress.

Xi expounded on the relationship between “one country” and “two systems”during his visit， stressing that “one country” is like the roots of a tree， and for a tree to grow tall and luxuriant， its roots must run deep and strong. Any attempt to endanger Chinas sovereignty and security， challenge the power of the Central Government and the authority of the Basic Law of Hong Kong SAR， or use Hong Kong to carry out infi ltration and sabotage activities against the mainland is an act that crosses the red line and absolutely impermissible. The three bottom lines are crucial for safeguarding national sovereignty and ensuring Hong Kongs security， stability， development and prosperity.

The Central Government will support Hong Kongs economic and social development， hoping the SAR government focuses on development. It is important to put people fi rst， help them overcome diffi culties， address the prominent economic and livelihood issues that concern them， and increase their sense of contentment and happiness.

President Xis remarks provide guidance for Hong Kongs development and also the stable and long-term practice of the “one country， two systems” policy.

Looking into both the past and the future， Hong Kong must always stick to the“one country， two systems” principle to ensure its long-term prosperity and stability.