Opportunities there to be taken by Hong Kong as China enters new era

Beijing has attached a higher level of importance to the city, which must continue to strive for success under the ‘one country, two systems’ principle and meet its national responsibilities

SCMP Editorial

Published: 6:30am, 10 Mar 2023

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When the state legislature and political consultative body last met in Beijing, Hong Kong was fighting an all-out battle against the most deadly wave of the Covid-19 outbreak. The message from the “two sessions” then was clear – control the epidemic at all costs. Now with the crisis over and prosperity gradually returning, the city has been given another mission. It must ensure better development and show it can make the most of its advantages under the principle of “one country, two systems”.

The central government has attached a higher level of importance to the city this year as illustrated by local deputies to the National People’s Congress and delegates of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference being in a position to meet more state leaders. This is not only in line with the start of a new five-year term of office for the two bodies, but also the city’s transition from chaos and crisis to governance and prosperity.

Promising as it seems, however, the road ahead is still one of many challenges. Politically, the city’s return to the world stage has been made more difficult by the negative international perception of the national security law and fears for freedoms and the rule of law. Changes in geopolitical relations amid escalating US-China tensions also make completing the journey of recovery anything but certain. Economically and socially, the city still faces a raft of long-standing livelihood issues and has to adapt to a new pace of development and growth fuelled by ongoing restructuring, while seizing the opportunities arising from closer integration with the Greater Bay Area and other national development strategies.

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Such concerns are shared by the central government. During a closed-door session, Wang Huning, the fourth-ranking official in the Politburo Standing Committee, told city representatives to play a greater role in tackling matters relating to housing, employment, youth and the elderly, while strengthening patriotic education at home and telling “Hong Kong stories well” abroad.

Separately, new liaison office director Zheng Yanxiong has stressed the importance of the common law system and vowed to support the “internationalisation” of the city. Such remarks are the clearest recognition yet of how unique the city is and reflect Beijing’s determination to make Hong Kong a success under the one country, two systems principle.

The city must fully appreciate the opportunities and challenges arising from national development and the changing external environment as the state legislature and the political consultative body set the direction of the country in a new era. This is not only expected by the political elite, but also the public.