As Hong Kong prepares to celebrate the 16th anniversary of the handover, one thing particularly worth thinking deeply about is its relations with the nation. Hong Kong's fate has always been tightly linked to that of the nation. The old China was so poor and weak it could only let foreign powers calve it up; and Hong Kong was also forcibly occupied by a colonial power. China would not have been able to regain its sovereign rule over Hong Kong had it not risen again and become strong and powerful enough to take back what is rightfully its own.

In the 16 years since the handover, Hong Kong has gone through one tough challenge after another, including the Asian financial storm of 1997, the bird flu epidemic, the SARS pandemic, the global financial crisis and many other hard times. Thankfully, the city has emerged unscathed and stronger each time with unreserved support from mainland compatriots as well as the central government. Every time Hong Kong found its economic development at a critical moment, the central government was there to help however necessary, injecting much-needed fresh vitality into Hong Kong's economy.

The central authorities have taken good care of Hong Kong rain or shine and always will. The Individual Visit Scheme, the Closer Economic Partnership Arrangement with nine supplementary agreements so far and more to come, making Hong Kong a leading offshore yuan trade center, allowing large mainland enterprises to be listed in Hong Kong, pushing for Guangdong-Hong Kong cooperation and Pearl River Delta regional cooperation, and stepping up cross-boundary infrastructure development projects, all these supportive measures and many more were taken specifically for Hong Kong's benefit.

The 36 supportive measures announced by then Vice-Premier Li Keqiang in 2011 during his Hong Kong visit not only reaffirmed the central government's commitment to facilitating the SAR's all-round development but also fully demonstrated that it cares about Hong Kong compatriots all the time.

This is an excerpted translation of a Wen Wei Po editorial published on June 25.

(HK Edition 06/26/2013 page9)