Closer ties between HK, mainland China 'essential', says Leung

Increasing integration with the mainland is the key to solving many of Hong Kong’s social problems and developing its economy, Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying said on Monday in a speech marking the national day holiday.

Officiating at the 63rd anniversary celebrations of the People’s Republic of China, Leung told an audience of hundreds at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre: “We must realise it is inevitable and essential for Hong Kong to develop alongside the mainland.

We must embrace every opportunity that the development of our country brings to Hong Kong,” Leung told hundreds of guests.

“After more than 30 years of hard work, Hong Kong has established an unprecedentedly large external economy in Guangdong. It has contributed to the fostering of Guangdong’s development.

“More importantly, it has sustained Hong Kong’s economic growth and created employment for Hong Kong people. These are all facts that we must realise,” Leung said.

Economic development was the key to solving social problems, he said. “The HKSAR government cares about people’s livelihood. At the same time, Hong Kong must achieve a higher and [more] sustainable economic growth rate in order to address various long-standing problems including housing, poverty, an ageing population and pollution.”