Xi gives best birthday gift to Hong Kong

President Xi Jinping paid an inspection tour to Hong Kong recently to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the establishment of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of China on July 1. During his three-day tour, he witnessed the signing of agreements to establish the Hong Kong Palace Museum and deepen cooperation on Greater Bay Area development. Some people said the "gift" brought by Xi this time was unsurprising and therefore they fear it implied Hong Kong was losing its importance for the central government.

These remarks and fears are wrong as they overlook the key message delivered by Xi: "It has been 20 years since Hong Kong's return to the motherland. According to China's tradition, a man enters adulthood at the age of 20." To a child, "gifts" mean practical and materialistic support but to a man who is entering a new stage, what he needs most is wisdom to foster future development. Thus, what Xi said is more important than what he brought as a "gift".

First, Xi fully endorsed the SAR government's work in the past five years, which was not an easy period for the government. Political conflicts, accumulated social problems, challenging economic restructuring issues were all tough tasks to cope with. Facing these challenges, the government should be satisfied to have maintained economic and social stability. For those fuelling separatism, the Hong Kong government has delivered a clear message that there is no room for "Hong Kong independence".