Zhou Zuyi (front row, sixth left), secretary of the Communist Party of China Fujian Provincial Committee; Zheng Yanxiong (front row, sixth right), director of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the HKSAR; Li Jiangzhou (front row, third left), the deputy head of the Office for Safeguarding National Security of the Central People's Government in HKSAR; John Lee Ka-chiu (front row, seventh right), chief executive of the HKSAR; and Sze Ching-lau (front row, seventh left), the 13th term chairman of the Hong Kong Federation of Fujian Associations, attend a ceremony to mark the 26th anniversary of the city’s return to the motherland cum the 13th term board inaugural ceremony of the Hong Kong Federation of Fujian Associations at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre on June 27, 2023. (PHOTO / HKSAR GOVERNMENT)

HONG KONG – The Hong Kong Federation of Fujian Associations celebrated the 26th anniversary of the city’s return to the motherland and held its 13th term board inaugural ceremony on Tuesday.

More than 2,000 people gathered in a grand hall in the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre for this festive feast, including John Lee Ka-chiu, chief executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, and Zheng Yanxiong, director of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the HKSAR.

In his opening speech for the celebration, Lee praised the federation for its staunch support for the HKSAR and hailed it as the core part of the patriotic force in the city.

“The federation and the HKSAR were established in the same year and have been growing together,” he said, adding that “people from the Fujian community have been contributing to the development of the city for many years and promoting exchanges between people from both places.”

Chief Executive of the HKSAR John Lee-Ka-chiu delivers a speech during a ceremony to mark the 26th anniversary of the city’s return to the motherland cum the 13th term board inaugural ceremony of the Hong Kong Federation of Fujian Associations at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre on June 27, 2023. (PHOTO / HKSAR GOVERNMENT)

In a bid to facilitate the cooperation between both places, the Fujian Liaison Unit of the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office was established in 2012, while the mechanism for Hong Kong/Fujian cooperation conference was founded in 2015, he said, adding that “the governments of both places will convene their fourth cooperation conference on Wednesday, marking a new chapter for their relations.”

Zhou Zuyi, secretary of the Communist Party of China Fujian Provincial Committee, said the federation could continue to resolutely implement the principle of “patriots governing Hong Kong” and boost the cohesion of the patriotic force in a bid to contribute the long-term prosperity in the SAR.

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Zhou also suggested the federation could make use of the city’s distinctive advantages of enjoying strong support of the motherland and being closely connected to the world to become a hub for Fujian province, the SAR and the world and tell good stories about the transformation in the nation and Fujian.

Director of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the HKSAR Zheng Yanxiong delivers a speech during a ceremony to mark the 26th anniversary of the city’s return to the motherland cum the 13th term board inaugural ceremony of the Hong Kong Federation of Fujian Associations at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre on June 27, 2023. (PHOTO / LOCPG.GOV.CN)

Meanwhile, the liaison office’s Zheng said that, over the 26 years since its founding, the federation had earned itself wide recognition from various sectors in the city as it had been proactive and helpful in promoting “one country, two systems”.

As Hong Kong was entering a new stage from chaos to order and prosperity, he hoped the federation would take advantage of its connection and resources for the national development, so that “the country will prosper and the HKSAR will prosper even further”.

Sze Ching-lau, the federation’s 13th term chairman, said it would take the essence of the 20th National Congress as a guiding principle to stay aligned with the national development strategies and lead people from the Fujian community in playing an active role in the community and telling good stories of Hong Kong.

Secretary of the Communist Party of China Fujian Provincial Committee Zhou Zuyi (first right), director of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the HKSAR Zheng Yanxiong (first left) and Chief Executive John Lee-Ka-chiu (center) present a gift to the Hong Kong Federation of Fujian Associations at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre on June 27, 2023. (GARY CHIU / CHINA DAILY)

Other government officials and political heavyweights invited to the event included Secretary for Security Chris Tang Ping-keung, Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury Christopher Hui Ching-yu, Secretary for Education Christine Choi Yuk-lin, Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs Alice Mak Mei-kuen, Secretary-General of the Hong Kong Coalition Tam Yiu-chung, convener of the Executive Council and legislator Regina Ip Lau Suk-yee and President of the Legislative Council of the HKSAR Andrew Leung Kwan-yuen.

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Established in May 8, 1997, the Hong Kong Federation of Fujian Associations aims to unite people of the Fujian community in the HKSAR and become a patriotic platform to connect the people and facilitate exchange and cooperation between Fujian province and the SAR.