Hong Kong closer than ever to the mainland

On Saturday, as Premier Li Keqiang presented the annual Government Work Report to national legislators, I couldn't help but notice a shift of tone in the government's next development plan for Hong Kong.

Instead of mentioning the need to maintain "national security and resolutely prevent external intervention in the affairs of Hong Kong and Macao", as stated in the last two reports, the latest one focuses instead on "economic development, improvements to well-being and integration into the country's overall development".

This shift, though subtle, conveys an important message that the government has always made the prosperity and development of Hong Kong and Macao a top priority, and that it will create more opportunities for both to better integrate into the country's overall development.

As a national news reporter, I have been reporting on the National People's Congress' deliberations on Hong Kong-related legislation for three years, and I definitely feel that the central government has attached increasing importance to the development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, in terms of both legislation and policies.

During the third session of the 13th NPC in May 2020, the country's top legislature adopted a decision on establishing a national security law for Hong Kong and improving the special administrative region's legal system and enforcement mechanisms.

It also authorized the NPC Standing Committee to draft the new provisions.

The move followed months of chaos and violence triggered by the then newly introduced extradition bill, which severely undermined Hong Kong's stability and the "one country, two systems" principle.

In June 2020, the NPC Standing Committee unanimously passed the national security law for Hong Kong, laying a solid legal foundation not only for preventing acts endangering national security, but also for resolving the social unrest and ensuring Hong Kong's development could get back on track.

In March last year, the fourth session of the 13th NPC adopted another decision on improving Hong Kong's electoral system, paving the way for further electoral reforms. Later that month, the NPC Standing Committee amended Annex I and II of the Basic Law to revise election methods for Hong Kong's chief executive and the Legislative Council.

The reform has filled loopholes in Hong Kong's electoral system to ensure that "patriots govern Hong Kong", safeguarding the "one country, two systems" policy.

This series of legislation has proven crucial to Hong Kong, effectively suppressing turbulence and terror. With the return to stability, the central government has stepped up policy support to help the development of Hong Kong and Macao.

Since 2017, the development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area has been included in each consecutive Government Work Report, and in 2019, the central government released the outline of its development plan for the Greater Bay Area, mapping out regional integration in a wide range of areas including innovation and technology, infrastructure and finance. The 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-25), which was endorsed by the NPC last year, also laid out concrete and detailed guidance for the future development of Hong Kong and Macao.

As Hong Kong grapples with a new wave of COVID-19, the Chinese mainland has mobilized its forces and resources to help it combat the outbreak.

During an interview on Monday, Kenneth Fok Kai-kong－a member of the Legislative Council of Hong Kong and of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference's National Committee, the nation's top political advisory body－bowed and thanked the central government and the mainland people for their medical assistance.

His display touched many hearts online, who hailed the unity shown between the two sides. It was yet another example of how, with policy support and legal protections to ensure a stable environment, Hong Kong and Macao have embraced unprecedented conditions to prosper.