CPPCC members: Future of HK, Macao linked to national prosperity

National political advisers from Hong Kong and Macao on Monday said that the two special administrative regions' accomplishments have been intertwined with national development.

On Monday morning, Hong Kong and Macao members of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, the nation's top political advisory body, attended the closing meeting of the third session of the 14th CPPCC National Committee at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, drawing the weeklong event to a conclusion.

Speaking during the "passage interviews" before the closing meeting, Irons Sze Wing-wai, a national political adviser from Hong Kong, attributed the city's status as a global finance, shipping and trading hub to the nation's development.

Citing personal business success stories stemming from the nation's reform and opening-up since the late 1970s, Sze added that the "one country, two systems" principle, implemented after Hong Kong's return to the motherland in 1997, also grants institutional support for Hong Kong to consolidate traditional strengths while further integrating into the nation's overall development.

As of 2024, over 1,400 mainland enterprises have been listed in Hong Kong's stock market, accounting for over 80 percent of the total market value, a fact that shows the Hong Kong financial market's appeal to mainland businesses, according to Sze.

He also pointed out that a significant proportion of Hong Kong's port activity involves cargo to and from the Chinese mainland, underlining the city's economic synergy with national progress.

Sze said the future of Hong Kong lies in resonating with the country's advancement, urging the city to carry on the Lion Rock Spirit — referring to Hong Kong people's can-do attitude — facing up to challenges and leveraging its strengths to better serve the country's needs.