'One country, two systems', HK's unique advantage: Maxine Yao

Editor's note: In the run-up to the 72nd anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China, China Daily interviewed some Hong Kong residents with different backgrounds about the close bond between the city and its motherland. This is the third piece of the series.

Maxine Yao, a Hong Kong surveyor and community organizer of Path of Democracy, a Hong Kong-based think tank, shared her views on "one country, two systems" and her expectations for the city. Here is what she said:

I would use "two hands" as a metaphor to describe relations between the Chinese mainland and Hong Kong. The design of "one country, two systems" is an institutional advantage of Hong Kong. It provides flexibility to merge the merits of both capitalism and socialism and get rid of the demerits from each.

When I travel to other countries or regions, I love to talk with taxi drivers to know more about their lives. Every time I told them I am from Hong Kong, taxi drivers from Malaysia and Indonesia are amazed at how Hong Kong can run under "one country, two systems".

Looking forward, I will keep an eye on the art exchange in the Greater Bay Area. Hong Kong can be a gateway for artists in the Chinese mainland, especially in the mainland cities of the Greater Bay Area, to the global stage. We are now the second-largest art trading market in the world, and we can perform better if the pandemic is alleviated. Cultural and arts exchanges are the best way to let the world know more about China and its stories.

In the run-up to the 72nd birthday of the PRC, I hope my country and Hong Kong will continue to have prosperity, which can allow us to take the lead in solving the problem of wealth disparity, an issue the whole world is facing. We can join our hands together to make our world.