The Central Government will also continue to unswervingly support the governance according to law by the Chief Executive and the government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, and continue to firmly support Hong Kong to develop its economy and maintain its long-term prosperity and stability, said Gao Siren, director of the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in Hong Kong, at a reception to celebrate the Chinese Lunar New Year.

Gao said that President Hu Jintao and Premier Wen Jiabao had on several occasions expressed their hope that all sectors in Hong Kong will unite as one, develop economy, improve people's livelihood and promote harmony, so as to maintain and consolidate Hong Kong's present hard-earned good situation.

"This is an ardent expectation from the Central Government and the shared aspiration of the Hong Kong society," he told a gathering of more than 4,000 people from different circles of Hong Kong.

Hong Kong is blessed with a unique advantage of being an international city while enjoying support from the motherland and implementing the principle of "one country, two systems", he said.

Gao pointed to the fact that the Central Government had recently approved financial institutions in the Chinese mainland to issue Renminbi (RMB) bonds in Hong Kong in order to further support Hong Kong's efforts to consolidate its status as an international financial center.

He pledged that in the new year, his office will better discharge its duty of communication and liaison, listen to and reflect the opinions of Hong Kong people, continue to facilitate exchanges and cooperation between Hong Kong and the mainland.

Gao announced that the Liaison Office will soon open its website, aiming to tell what is happening in the mainland, the Central Government's policy measures about Hong Kong, and offer consultancy and services for exchanges and cooperation between Hong Kong and the mainland.

The year 2007 also marks the 10th anniversary of Hong Kong's return to the motherland.

"We have achieved tremendous achievements and accumulated precious experience through 10 years of exploration, practice and development, thus laying a solid foundation for advancing the great cause of 'one country, two systems' in the future," he said.