(Year-end Feature) "Governance" and "Integration": Hong Kong 2020, moving forward amidst changes
China News Service, Beijing, December 28th, title: "Governance" and "Integration": Hong Kong 2020, moving forward amidst changes
China News Agency reporter Chen Xiaoyuan Yang Chengchen
Hong Kong's 2020 is still not calm: the aftermath of the "Regulations Amendment Crisis" has not ceased, the new crown pneumonia epidemic has continued throughout the year, and the economic recovery has a long way to go.
At the same time, Hong Kong’s national security law has been implemented in Hong Kong, and “speculation” mobs have been punished by law, and the principle of “patriots ruling Hong Kong” has been further clarified.
Under the superimposed influence of multiple factors, this year's Hong Kong has gathered the greatest social consensus of "really pursuing the roots, rejecting'speculation', and returning to tranquility", moving from chaos to governance and hesitating.
Data map: Hong Kong citizens signed on the streets to support Hong Kong's national security legislation.
Photo by China News Agency reporter Zhang Wei
Governance: One Law for Hong Kong to "Patriots Ruling Hong Kong"
People still remember the pain caused by the "Regulation Amendment Disturbance" to Hong Kong.
In May 2020, the Third Session of the 13th National People's Congress, which was delayed due to the epidemic, passed the decision on Hong Kong-related national security legislation.
At the end of June, the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress passed the Hong Kong National Security Law twice after deliberation and included it in Annex III of the Hong Kong Basic Law.
The enactment and implementation of this law are well-received, and its deterrent effect soon became apparent.
Some "Hong Kong Independence" organizations announced their dissolution soon, and major members withdrew one after another. Some opposition figures changed their attitudes or expressed their withdrawal from politics.
The outside world believes that the law will effectively resolve the legal loopholes, system deficiencies and "shortcomings" of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region in maintaining national security.
In early July, in accordance with the relevant provisions of the Hong Kong National Security Law, the National Security Commission and the National Security Agency in Hong Kong were established in Hong Kong. The SAR government also established a police department to maintain national security departments at this time.
In August, the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress passed a decision to settle the issue of the "vacuum period" that may arise in the SAR Legislative Council, and the sixth legislative council will continue to perform its duties for no less than one year.
In November, the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress passed a relevant decision to legalize the principle of "patriots ruling Hong Kong". The SAR government subsequently announced that four opposition legislators were disqualified as members.
As a result, the boundaries and standards of "Hong Kong people ruling Hong Kong" have been further confirmed and clarified in practice, which will help Hong Kong get out of the quagmire of extreme radical forces "seeking Hong Kong" as early as possible.
The Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office of the State Council issued a statement in November stressing that as the practice of "one country, two systems" continues to deepen, it is necessary to further improve relevant systems and mechanisms to provide solid institutional guarantees for the implementation of "Hong Kong people ruling Hong Kong" with patriots as the main body, and to ensure " The practice of "one country, two systems" will not be deformed or out of shape, and will follow the correct track with stability and long-term progress.
Li Xiaobing, executive director of the Taiwan-Hong Kong-Macao Law Research Center of Nankai University Law School, told a reporter from China News Agency that the central government has made several moves this year, which has a deep meaning. It is the central government's exercise of comprehensive governance powers in accordance with the law to reshape the constitutional order of the special zone.
Rong: The two places fight the epidemic together and embrace the Greater Bay Area
In January 2020, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region officially announced for the first time two confirmed cases of new coronary pneumonia.
Since then, the epidemic has continued to fluctuate and caused tremendous pressure on society, and the SAR public health emergency system has encountered an unprecedented severe period.
Hong Kong citizens send off the mainland nucleic acid testing support team back to the mainland.
Photo by China News Agency reporter Zhang Wei
When the epidemic hit again in early July, there were about 3,700 new cases in Hong Kong.
At the request of the SAR government, the central government deployed a mainland support team to participate in the Hong Kong nucleic acid testing program.
Many of these team members have experience in fighting the epidemic in Wuhan or overseas, and they quickly set up a large-scale nucleic acid testing "Fire Eye Laboratory", which runs efficiently and "races against time".
Hong Kong citizens thank the support team for their selfless help.
At the same time, this year, the trend of Hong Kong's integration into the overall development of the country became clearer.
The Financial Secretary of the Special Administrative Region Government, Chen Maobo, recently mentioned that Hong Kong can act as an "intermediary", "facilitator" and "participant" in the country's process of building a new development pattern with the domestic cycle as the main body and the domestic and international dual cycles mutually promoting each other. Three roles.
In-depth cooperation with cities in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area to build an international technological innovation center will be an important focus of Hong Kong.
As of October, there have been over 11,000 Hong Kong-funded enterprises registered in Qianhai, Shenzhen.
The second phase of the Qianhai Shenzhen-Hong Kong Youth DreamWorks Project, which supports youth entrepreneurship, has also been launched recently, and it is expected to attract more Hong Kong youths.
The SAR government has recently formally established the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Development Office to strengthen the promotion and coordination of the SAR government’s work on the construction of the Greater Bay Area.
Government departments are actively promoting, and private participation is continuously increasing.
Tung Chee-hwa, vice chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference and chairman of the Solidarity Hong Kong Fund, recently pointed out that only by getting on the high-speed train of national reform and opening up can Hong Kong usher in another economic take-off.
The central government and mainland cities have always supported the development of Hong Kong and actively shared opportunities with Hong Kong people.
Even with the impact of the epidemic, relevant support policies continue to come.
This year Shenzhen issued 18 measures to facilitate the development of Hong Kong and Macao residents and recruited civil servants from Hong Kong and Macao for the first time. Hong Kong lawyers and Chinese medicine practitioners have been approved to practice in the Greater Bay Area since October.
Individuals and companies from different industries and industries are seeking to integrate into the Greater Bay Area for common development.
This year, even if the epidemic hinders the travel between the two places, many young people in Hong Kong are still willing to stay rooted in the mainland and work hard to recover the market after the epidemic.
"If all sectors of society can seize the opportunity, take an active part in the construction of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, and integrate into the overall national development, Hong Kong's prospects will be even better." Feng Guoyou, president of the Hong Kong Professionals (Beijing) Association, told a reporter from China News Agency.
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