President Xi Jinping emphasises Hong Kong’s critical role as he maps out China’s direction, stresses need to safeguard national security, attract talent
- Xi Jinping pledges support for greater integration of Hong Kong, Macau into national development plans in opening speech for Communist Party’s 20th congress
- President calls city’s ‘one country, two systems’ governing principle ‘a great innovation of socialism with Chinese characteristics’, says it must be adhered to over long term
As he had done in the previous party congress and during his visit to the city on the 25th anniversary of its return to Chinese rule, he reaffirmed that Hong Kong’s “one country, two systems” governing policy would be adhered to for a long time and the city would be administered by “patriots”.
It marked the first time the “patriots” principle was mentioned at a party congress after Beijing passed a national security law in 2020 and overhauled the electoral system following the 2019 anti-government protests.
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Xi Jinping charts China’s future course at 20th party congress
“[One country, two systems] has proven to be the best institutional arrangement for ensuring sustained prosperity and stability in Hong Kong and Macau after their return to the motherland,” he told more than 2,000 delegates attending the 20th party congress. “This policy must be adhered to over the long term.”
Xi said: “We will ensure the central government exercises overall jurisdiction over the two regions. We will see that Hong Kong and Macau are administered by patriots.”