Hongkongers must "contribute to the progress of China" while attempting to boost the city's prosperity, Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying said on Tuesday in a speech to mark National Day.
He made the remarks as he addressed the National Day reception at the Convention and Exhibition Centre in Wan Chai this morning, after attending the flag-raising ceremony in Golden Bauhinia Square – along with former chief executives Tung Chee-hwa and Donald Tsang Yam-kuen, as well as current officials.
“The world is changing and China is moving forward,” he said. “Hong Kong should [identify] new functions that we can perform. As Chinese nationals, we, together with all people of China, should make contributions to the development of our country while doing our best to maintain the prosperity and stability of [the city].”
Leung added that in the past year, Hong Kong has “moved forward in its own development”, and “continued to contribute to the progress” of China, under the support of the central government and mainland authorities.
