He added the legislature’s enactment of the Safeguarding National Security Ordinance last month marked a new starting point for the city.

Xia said the city was now better equipped to “identify thieves and protect friends”, which provided a more predictable environment for overseas investors.

“Hong Kong is still the world’s best place for doing business,” Xia said. “It’s the best place to start a business, make money and realise dreams. It is like the sun in the universe where no dark clouds can ever block its rays. Hong Kong’s prosperity cannot be denounced by a few articles or a few noises.

“Let those who think poorly of Hong Kong lament. Hong Kong is destined to be brilliant tomorrow.”

Xia said the nation offered solid backing for Hong Kong with its resilient economy and Beijing’s policy support. But he added the city’s path to prosperity involved major changes in the external environment and that people had to roll up their sleeves and adapt to the changing landscape.

Hong Kong can now ‘go all out’ to boost economy: Beijing’s top man in city

Xia said Hong Kong had to sharpen its international competitiveness by consolidating and elevating the advantages conferred by the one country, two systems principle.

He added Hong Kong’s traditional advantages should not remain “static” and maintenance of the city’s “golden brand” required constant effort.

“The advance from stability to prosperity is essentially a path for innovation and changes,” he said. “We cannot look at today’s new situation with yesterday’s old eyes. We cannot use yesterday’s old thinking to solve today’s new problems.

“We need to unite and look ahead to solve the problems we face using new thinking, new methods and new routes. [We should] dare to say new things that have not been said by our predecessors and dare to do things that have never been done before to make constant breakthroughs.”

Hong Kong to mark National Security Education Day with activities across city

Xia underlined his confidence in Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu and the government’s ability to make high-quality economic development their top priority and stay committed to objectives that would drive the city’s prosperity with “more powerful measures”.

The bay area is Beijing’s plan to make Hong Kong, Macau and nine mainland Chinese cities into an economic powerhouse.

“We firmly believe that the wheels of the new era train called Hong Kong will surely roll forward unstoppably,” Xia said.

Zheng Yanxiong, the director of the central government’s liaison office in the city, who also spoke at the event, said the 2020 Beijing-imposed national security law and the domestic national security legislation created “dual laws, dual mechanisms” that involved Beijing’s authority and Hong Kong’s responsibility.

Zheng said the dual laws allowed Hong Kong to develop its economy and improve people’s livelihoods.

He added the city also had to continue to counter attempts to discredit it by external forces.

“Lately there have been ridiculous claims that Hong Kong is over, that there was no hope of recovery, and it is in ruins and an isolated island,” Zheng said. “These have been refuted by all major Hong Kong media outlets, which articulate the narrative of a bright Hong Kong economy. This is excellent.”

Lee said the city had to remain on the alert for threats in his speech at the event, which also marked the 10th anniversary of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s “holistic approach” to national security, which spanned 20 areas, from politics to biosecurity.

“The threat of hostile forces will continue [as they] wait for a chance to attack,” Lee warned. “Just like viruses, they will not stop attacking us just because we have been vaccinated.

“With the protection of national security laws, activities that endanger national security will continue to threaten us like viruses, so we cannot forget about the pain just because our wounds have healed.”

Lee added the city authorities would continue to explain the domestic national security law to the public, reinforce internal training and boost education on the topic.

Starry Lee Wai-king, Hong Kong’s sole delegate to the nation’s top legislative body, said one example of new thinking was how Hong Kong drew tourists in the face of changing spending patterns and expectations.

“In addition to merely wishing that more overseas friends will come to Hong Kong, I think the key is that Hong Kong as a whole must deploy and adapt to these new expectations as soon as possible,” Lee said.

She expected Beijing would unveil more supportive measures for the city soon, although she had no information to share about the timing or details.

Beijing designated April 15 as National Security Education Day in 2015. Hong Kong launched its first National Security Education Day on April 15, 2021.