Next five years critical, says Lee upon assuming office

HONG KONG - Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu pledged on Friday to build a caring, inclusive and vigorous Hong Kong that is full of development, opportunity, and hope, saying the next five years will be critical.

Lee said he "humbly" assumed office as the six-term chief executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and expressed his heartfelt gratitude for the trust of the central government and the people of the city.

Lee made the remarks after being sworn in as the six-term chief executive of the HKSAR, together with his governing team. President Xi Jinping administered the oath of office to Lee and the principal officials of the sixth-term HKSAR government at a meeting celebrating the 25th anniversary of Hong Kong's return to the motherland and the swearing-in ceremony of the sixth-term HKSAR government.

Expressing his honor to take up the "historic mission", Lee said Hong Kong, with the staunch support from the central government, the inherent advantages of "one country, two systems" and the resilience of its people, has withstood numerous challenges in the past, and it has started anew and will scale new heights.

Lee pledged to fully and accurately implement "one country, two systems" and "patriots administering Hong Kong" with a high degree of autonomy; uphold the constitutional order that is jointly established by the Constitution and the HKSAR's Basic Law; safeguard national sovereignty, safety and development interests; and maintain the city's long-term stability and prosperity.

The promulgation of the National Security Law for Hong Kong has returned the city from chaos to peace and order, Lee said. The improvements made to the city's electoral system have put in institutional safeguards for the principle of "patriots administering Hong Kong", making the system conform to the actual situation on the ground, meet the needs of the city for development, and work in line with "one country, two systems", he said.

He vowed to give full play to the new system to achieve good and effective governance.

The next five years will be critical for the city to achieve prosperity, and the SAR government will rise up to the daunting challenges ahead and address the needs of the people, Lee said.

"Even if we can only solve one small problem every day, we will achieve much if we stick to it," Lee said.

Looking forward, Lee said he will improve governance in a results-oriented manner and improve the overall competitiveness of the city by developing emerging industries and raise young patriotic generations. He also said he will tell Hong Kong's story well on the international arena.

"Development is the golden key to solving livelihood issues," Lee said, adding that the Belt and Road Initiative and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area have provided unlimited opportunities and room for development in the city.

Apart from strengthening established sectors and reinforcing Hong Kong's status as an international financial, transportation and trading center, Lee pledged to strive to fully develop a range of emerging industries under the National 14th Five-Year Plan with innovation and technology and commercialization of research results as focus areas.

In particular, the city will make full use of its advantages and the industrial chains, talents and strengths of the Greater Bay Area to build itself into an international innovative and technology hub, Lee said.

Hong Kong also is poised to be the hub for arts and cultural exchanges between China and the rest of the world, he said.

The soon-to-be opened Hong Kong Palace Museum stands to attract people from all the four corners of the globe, making it well-placed to promote the Chinese culture to a world audience, he added.

About 1,300 guests joined the swearing-in ceremony, including the wife of President Xi, Peng Liyuan, Vice-Chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference and Director of the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council Xia Baolong; Director of the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the HKSAR Luo Huining; members of the Executive and Legislative Councils; Hong Kong deputies to the National People's Congress and members of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference; political and economic figures; local dignitaries; senior executives of Hong Kong-based Chinese enterprises; and members of the foreign diplomatic corps.

Also on Friday, Lee launched a Facebook page, an Instagram account and a Weibo account to enhance communication with Hong Kong residents.