Auspicious future seen for Hong Kong

President says opportunities lie ahead, calls for confidence in region and country

President Xi Jinping called on Friday for Hong Kong people to have confidence in themselves, the government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and the country, ahead of the 20th anniversary of Hong Kong's return to China.

Hong Kong people have made tremendous contributions to the country's reform and opening-up in the past decades, which will never be forgotten by the central government and the whole nation, Xi said while delivering a speech at a banquet hosted by the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region's government to welcome the president.