Hong Kong delegates 'honored' to join celebration events in Beijing

Representatives from various sectors in Hong Kong say they feel honored and excited to be invited to the country's grand celebration of the 70th anniversary of its founding in Beijing on Tuesday.

They also said they thought it would be a great opportunity to learn the latest about the country's development.

Multiple Hong Kong delegations will head to Beijing to attend celebration activities. A series of activities will also be held in Hong Kong, despite the city's prolonged anti-government protests that have often turned violent.

On Monday, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor will lead a delegation comprising over 240 members from various sectors in Hong Kong to visit Beijing, to participate in activities to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China.

Priscilla Leung Mei-fun, a legislator and barrister in Hong Kong, said she felt honored and excited to be a member of the delegation led by the chief executive.

Leung said she was proud of being a Chinese citizen and a witness to the country's tremendous achievements in economic development, science and technology, and the dramatic improvement of the livelihood of its 1.4 billion people.

She said she believed the unrest in Hong Kong was only temporary, and the city would embrace a brighter future with the nation's support.

Leung said she hoped the National Day celebration could enhance Hong Kong people's understanding of the country's history and its tough journey to today's prosperity.

Meanwhile, delegations of Hong Kong deputies to the National People's Congress-the country's top legislature-and members of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference-the country's top political advisory body-will also visit Beijing and join in celebratory activities.

Tam Yiu-chung, a Hong Kong deputy on the Standing Committee of the NPC, said it was a great honor to attend the National Day celebration activities in Beijing, especially the military parade.

He described it as a good chance to learn about the nation's development through the military weapons displayed and the attitude of its soldiers.

Tam said he thought a stronger nation would see Hong Kong enjoy more benefits and opportunities, and he hoped the people of Hong Kong could live up to the country's unswerving support.

On Sunday morning, 10 representatives from the Hong Kong Police Force also left for Beijing to attend the celebration.

Kenneth Li Kin-fai, convener of the police delegation and the force's director of personnel and training, said it was a great honor for the Hong Kong Police Force to be invited to the National Day celebration.

Li said he thought it showed that the country attached great importance to the Hong Kong police and understood their difficulties.

He pledged the police would make more efforts to safeguard the SAR's stability and prosperity and restore peace in the city.

In celebration of the country's 70th National Day, the Hong Kong SAR government will hold a series of activities on Tuesday.

Major activities include a flag-raising ceremony and National Day reception, and a reprogrammed multimedia light and sound show on both sides of Victoria Harbour each night in October.

A special anniversary stamp issue will also be released.