Xia Baolong hails Heung Yee Kuk at centenary
SingTao · 1 SOURCESabout 2 hours ago2 MIN
Summary
The Heung Yee Kuk held a gala dinner to celebrate its 100th anniversary on October 23, with a congratulatory letter from Xia Baolong, director of the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council. In the letter, Xia praised the Heung Yee Kuk for being patriotic, supporting Hong Kong and local communities, firmly backing the “one country, two systems” principle and the Basic Law, and serving as a bridge to rural residents. Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu said the body had witnessed the transformation of the New Territories and would also witness faster development of the Northern Metropolis, which covers one-third of Hong Kong’s land area. He said the government would maintain close communication with the Heung Yee Kuk through the planning, implementation and delivery stages of the Northern Metropolis
Key Points
- Xia Baolong said he hoped New Territories forces would unite to help the chief executive boost the economy, pursue development, advance reform and improve livelihoods
- In his message, Xia commended the Heung Yee Kuk for firmly supporting “one country, two systems” and the Basic Law over many years
- John Lee said the Northern Metropolis occupies one-third of Hong Kong’s land area in the New Territories and is gradually entering a harvest period
- Lee said the Heung Yee Kuk should continue explaining policies and communicating public views, helping the government engage village communities during Northern Metropolis development
- He also urged the body to promote urban-rural integration, preserve rural traditions and culture, and unite villagers in support of the project
Why It Matters
The anniversary messages linked the Heung Yee Kuk’s traditional rural representative role directly to one of Hong Kong’s biggest long-term development projects, the Northern Metropolis. For Hong Kong readers, the remarks indicate the government sees local rural support and communication as essential to turning large-scale New Territories development into tangible benefits for residents across the city