Party congress offers opportunities for HK

Foreign diplomats and business leaders can find enormous opportunities in decisions and policies from the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, a senior Chinese diplomat said on Friday.

And a good command of the essence of the congress will enable one to better seize the opportunities, said Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Liu Guangyuan.

At a session held to present the gist of the Party congress, Liu expressed hopes for foreign diplomats and chambers of commerce and exchanges stationed in the SAR to continue to be the supporters of the "one country, two systems" principle, contributors to Hong Kong's prosperity and stability, and communicators of a true Chinese mainland and the HKSAR.

Liu said the successful convening of the Party congress has demonstrated China's strong confidence, and offered Chinese solutions and rich opportunities to the world. He also gave a comprehensive illustration of content related to "one country, two systems" in the report of the congress.

The report systematically expounded the new strategy of upholding and improving the "one country, two systems" principle, which can serve as a beacon to light Hong Kong's way forward, a golden key for it to achieve good administration, and usher the "one country, two systems" practice into a new era, Liu said.

Liu stressed that advancing the "one country, two systems" practice in the Hong Kong and Macao SARs is a vital part of the Chinese nation's great rejuvenation. Maintaining the country's stability, prosperity and progress can offer enormous opportunities for the HKSAR and the rest of the world, he said.

He hopes the overseas guests attending the event can form a more objective and comprehensive understanding of the CPC's governance philosophy, as well as the future development directions of China. They were also encouraged to fully and accurately understand the "one country, two systems" principle and maintain firm confidence in Hong Kong's future developments.

Over 100 representatives from Hong Kong-based foreign consular missions, international organizations, and chambers of commerce attended the event.

Amir Lati, consul general of Israel in the Hong Kong and Macao SARs, said that China is one of the important international players on the global stage, highlighting the nation's extraordinary achievements in poverty alleviation. And China's developments over the past 40 years are not only exceptional in the nation's own history, but also in the history of the world.

He noted that the HKSAR is a significant business partner of Israel, and also a facilitator of promoting collaboration between China and Israel, such as in the fintech area, given the city's status as an international financial center.

In the future, he hopes to further deepen ties with China, especially with cities in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, adding that he hopes there will be more channels for foreign consular missions and chambers to know about the GBA blueprint.

Vice-Chairman of the Singapore Chamber of Commerce (Hong Kong) Basil Hwang said that Singapore has always been a very big investor in the Chinese mainland, adding that the reference to the HKSAR in the 20th CPC National Congress report brings certainty to the city and especially to the business community, which is good for businesses in Hong Kong.

Tatyana Kharlap, consul general of the Republic of Belarus in the Hong Kong and Macao SARs, affirmed the 20th CPC Congress as a demonstration of the CPC's skillful leadership, and emphasized that after its return to the motherland, Hong Kong has a strong and comfortable development environment, such as in finance, logistics, trade and cultural tourism, which is very attractive for businesses from all over the world.