(East-West Question) On the 25th anniversary of the handover, how can Hong Kong "govern and prosper"?
China News Service Beijing, July 1st cable question : On the 25th anniversary of the handover, how can Hong Kong "govern and prosper"?
"China News Weekly" 》Reporter Sun Xiaobo
On the 25th anniversary of the return to the motherland, Hong Kong has entered a critical period of "from governance to prosperity". Recently, China News Service's "East-West Question" interviewed a number of experts on Hong Kong and Macao issues to analyze the background and reasons for Hong Kong's "revolution from governance to prosperity" in multiple dimensions.
On the morning of July 1, the Hong Kong SAR Government's flag-raising ceremony was held at the Golden Bauhinia Square to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Hong Kong's return to the motherland. A helicopter formation flying the five-star red flag and the Hong Kong regional flag flew over the Victoria Harbor. Photo by China News Service reporter Zhang Wei
The National Security Law and the new electoral system have given Hong Kong a new look
This year marks the 25th anniversary of Hong Kong’s return to the motherland and the second anniversary of the implementation of the Hong Kong National Security Law. The election of a new chief executive was completed based on the fundamental principle of “patriots governing Hong Kong” The opening year. Wang Linggui, deputy director of the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council, recently stated that with the implementation of the National Security Law and the improvement of the electoral system, Hong Kong has taken on a new look. The next five years will be a critical period for Hong Kong to move from "from chaos to governance" to "from governance to prosperity."
Wang Zhenmin, director of the Hong Kong and Macao Research Center at Tsinghua University, said that insisting on handling Hong Kong's national security issues within the framework of the Basic Law fully demonstrates the central government's firm commitment to " one country, two systems " and the Basic Law. The Hong Kong National Security Law is the lowest level and lowest standard "life-saving law" that will help "one country, two systems" return to normalcy and achieve long-term stability.
associate professor at Beihang University Law School and director of the National Hong Kong and Macao Research AssociationTian Feilong pointed out that the implementation of Hong Kong's national security law has repaired the national security loopholes that have plagued Hong Kong for many years, allowing Hong Kong to get rid of the "undefended" state of national security, prompting The situation in Hong Kong has changed from chaos to stability, and Hong Kong's development is back on track. He said that the original intention of the legislation of Hong Kong's national security law was to maintain Hong Kong's prosperity and stability and fill legal loopholes in national security. It achieved Hong Kong's transition from chaos to governance and provided strong support and protection for Hong Kong's transition from governance to prosperity. Hong Kong's national security law and new electoral system fully and accurately implement "patriots governing Hong Kong", fill the loopholes in the "one country, two systems" system, and develop "one country, two systems" into an organic and unified system as a whole.
html On June 29, Hong Kong fishing boats paraded in Victoria Harbor with slogans celebrating Hong Kong's return to the motherland to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Hong Kong's return to the motherland. Photo by China News Service reporter Li Zhihua "Patriots governing Hong Kong" kicks off good governance in Hong Kong
According to many Hong Kong scholars, in the two years since the implementation of the Hong Kong National Security Law and the implementation of the new electoral system for more than a year, Hong Kong has opened up a new situation of good governance and good governance. .
Vice President of the National Association for Hong Kong and Macao Studies Liu Zhaoji pointed out that in Hong Kong today, the patriotic and Hong Kong forces are unprecedentedly united, and all aspects of society are focusing on Hong Kong's future development direction and deep-seated issues.
Yan Xiaojun, associate professor of the Department of Politics and Public Administration at the University of Hong Kong, said that the improved new electoral system has returned the political discussion in Hong Kong society to the degree of governance and the effectiveness of governance.
It is worth noting that Wang Linggui pointed out that the central government's implementation of the National Security Law and the improvement of the electoral system in Hong Kong have laid a foundation for the healthy development of democracy in Hong Kong while safeguarding sovereignty, security and development interests, and have a profound impact on prosperity and stability. He believes that Hong Kong currently has the conditions to promote various social and people's livelihood construction.
Dean of the Institute for Advanced Studies in Global and Contemporary China at the Chinese University of Hong Kong (Shenzhen) Zheng Yongnian believes that Hong Kong did not have the political conditions to solve people's livelihood problems before, but now it has, with the implementation of the Hong Kong National Security Law and the implementation of the new electoral system, " The political conditions for "patriots governing Hong Kong" have matured.
In his view, Hong Kong has undergone significant changes after the principle of "patriots governing Hong Kong" was fully implemented.First of all, national security under "one country, two systems" basically had no grip before, but now the implementation of the Hong Kong National Security Law has a grip; secondly, the entire educational and cultural system can now be substantially advanced in cultivating national recognition of ; more Importantly, the implementation of the National Security Law in Hong Kong is a transformation of two political systems. Hong Kong has moved from the previous radical democracy to a democracy that is more in line with Hong Kong's culture, class structure, and social structure. Today's Hong Kong is "starting again."
Data map: A red sun rises from the east, mapping the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge in a particularly charming way. Photo by China News Service reporter Zhang Wei
The Greater Bay Area and the "14th Five-Year Plan" will help Hong Kong shine again
The stability of Hong Kong society has also brought about a burst of vitality. In the latest "World Competitiveness Annual Report 2022" released by the International Institute for Management Development in Lausanne, Switzerland , Hong Kong's ranking rose from seventh in the world last year to fifth. Among the four competitiveness factors in the annual report, Hong Kong continues to achieve good rankings in "Government Efficiency" and "Business Efficiency", and its rankings in "Economic Performance" and "Infrastructure" have also improved.
The Hong Kong SAR government stated that Hong Kong's competitiveness relies on the institutional advantages of "one country, two systems", including the rule of law and judicial independence, free entry and exit of funds, a free trade and investment system, a simple and low tax system, a good business environment, and an efficient government.
researcher Song Luzheng of the China Research Institute of Fudan University believes that Hong Kong has completely restored stability and its business genes have returned. Coupled with the help of the central government , Hong Kong will inevitably accelerate development and become more prosperous.
When talking about the future development of Hong Kong, many scholars have mentioned two important documents - the " Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Development Plan " and the "14th Five-Year Plan" and the 2035 Vision Goals Outline.
Tian Feilong said that the "Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Development Plan" released in early 2019 actually provides a specific strategic guideline for how Hong Kong can integrate into the overall development of the country; and the "14th Five-Year Plan" outline proposes the eight major centers of Hong Kong. Positioning not only includes the inherent advantages of Hong Kong's original international status, but also superimposes the development advantages under the country's new strategic conditions. It provides very good policies for Hong Kong's transformation and development and seizes the development opportunities of the new round of globalization. foundation and policy guidance.
Hong Kong under "one country, two systems" has its own irreplaceable advantages and unique value as a special administrative region. Some people point out that as a free port, independent customs territory and economy, Hong Kong's internationalization and openness can provide unique support for China's economic development, RMB internationalization, foreign exchanges, rule of law and urban governance.
It can be said that under "one country, two systems", Hong Kong has the convenience of "one country" and the benefits of "two systems". The construction of in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and the advancement of the "14th Five-Year Plan" are huge opportunities for Hong Kong. As some scholars have pointed out, if Hong Kong can use its unique advantages to deeply integrate into the national development strategy, it will only be a matter of time before the "Pearl of the Orient" with a population of 7 million will shine again.
