BEIJING – Premier Li Keqiang yesterday offered the Hong Kong and Macau administrations the full support of the central government, saying that Beijing will support them in “seizing the opportunities” from the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and the Greater Bay Area (GBA) development plan.
“The governments and chief executives of the two regions have our full support. We’ll support the two regions in seizing the opportunities presented by the Belt and Road Initiative and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area strategy, giving better play to their strength and deepening mutually beneficial cooperation with the mainland in all fields,” Li told the opening session of the annual plenary meeting of the National People’s Congress (NPC).
He added that the central government would ensure that the GBA development plan is compatible with the rules of Hong Kong, Macau and Guangdong.
Li also said Beijing would uphold the principles of Hong Kong and Macau people ruling their respective special administrative regions (SARs), and the two SARs enjoying a high degree of autonomy. These phrases were omitted from his report last year.
“We’ll continue fully and faithfully to implement the policies of ‘One Country, Two Systems’, the people of Hong Kong governing Hong Kong, the people of Macau governing Macau, and a high degree of autonomy for both regions, and act in compliance with the constitution and the basic laws of the Hong Kong and the Macau special administrative regions,” Li said.
The chief executives of Macau and Hong Kong, Fernando Chui Sai On and Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor attended yesterday morning’s opening ceremony.
Premier Li Keqiang delivers his annual government work report at the opening meeting of the second session of the 13th National People’s Congress at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing yesterday. – Xinhua
