SincebecominganSARofChina,HongKonghasenjoyedahighdegreeofautonomy.UndertheleadershipoftheChiefExecutiveoftheSAR,thegovernmentofHongKongoperatesunderademocraticpoliticalsystemthatensuresjudicialindependence.Moreandmorepeoplehaveparticipatedinelectionsofthechiefexecutive.
AlthoughHongKongsharescommonrootswiththerestofChina,asregardsculture,language,andcustoms,andisgeographicallyclosetothemainland,itembracesaWesternlifestyleduetotheinfluenceofover150yearsofBritishrule.HongKong鈥檚wayoflife,featuringhorseracingandstockinvesting,whilefusingharmoniouslywithtraditionalChineseculture,asrepresentedbyConfucianism,Taoism,andBuddhism,hasremainedthesamesinceitsreturntothemotherland.
Theregionhasalsomaintaineditsstatusasinternationalfinancial,tradeandshippingcenter.HongKongInternationalAirportstillranksfirstamongairportsoftheworldasregardsaircargothroughput,and70oftheworld鈥檚100largestbankshaveofficesinHongKong.Theyear2017marksthe23rdyearinsuccessionthattheU.S.-basedHeritageFoundationhaslistedHongKongastheworld鈥檚freesteconomy.ItisalsothesecondyearinsuccessionthattheWorldCompetitivenessYearbookreleasedbytheInternationalInstituteforManagementDevelopmentinLausanne,Switzerland,hasratedHongKongasthemostcompetitiveeconomyglobally.
Asacosmopolis,HongKongcontinuestoreceivenewimmigrantsfromChina鈥檚mainlandandforeigncountries.Thepeopleofdifferentcreedsandcolorsthatworkandlivehereenrichthecity鈥檚conglomerationofmultiplecultures.DatafromtheConsulateGeneralofFranceinHongKongandMacaoshowthat25,000FrenchcitizensliveinHongKong,makingithometothelargestFrenchcommunityinAsia.
SinceHongKongbecameagrayingsocietyitsgovernmenthassparednoeffortinalleviatingpoverty,providingfortheaged,andhelpingdisadvantagedgroups.Ithasencouragedemployment,settheminimumwage,andestablishedtheCommunityCareFundandsubsistenceallowancesforseniorcitizensandlow-incomefamilies,sobringingbenefitstomorethanonemillionpeople.
In2016,HongKong鈥檚averagelifeexpectancywas81.3yearsformenand87.3yearsforwomen鈥揾igherthanmostregionsintheworld.Thismaybeascribedtothebeautifulnaturalscenery,delicious,nutritiouslocaldishes,andharmoniouslifethatHongKongcitizensenjoy.
HongKong鈥檚stability,prosperityanddevelopmentoverthepasttwodecadesisattributabletoboundlesshelpfromthemotherlandwheneverencounteringproblems,maintainingitsoriginalsystem,anditscloserrelationshipwiththemainland.Asattheendof2016,HongKongremainedthemainland鈥檚largestsourceofforeigncapitalandexternalfinancingplatform,andthemaindestinationforoutboundinvestment.ItisalsoaglobalhubforoffshoreRMBbusiness,andacenterforcross-borderRMBtradesettlementservices.
TheBeltandRoadInitiativehashighlightedHongKong鈥檚roleasChina鈥檚pointofglobalaccess,makingitaplatformforintegratedservices,investmentandfinancing,andculturalexchanges,andintegraltocross-borderindustrytransfersandinfrastructureconstruction.
HongKongalsoactsasaninternationaltalentincubatorandmultifunctionalmaritimecenter,andasaservicecenterforinternationallawanddisputeresolution.ThereishenceeveryreasontobelievethatHongKongandthemotherlandareheadingtowardsashared,brilliantfuture.