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Speech by Commissioner Liu Guangyuan at the Unveiling Ceremony of the English Edition of the First Book of the Hong Kong Chronicles
2022-07-27 17:51

Review of Past Points Way to Future


Speech by Commissioner Liu Guangyuan at

the Unveiling Ceremony of the English Edition of

the First Book of the Hong Kong Chronicles


Government House

July 27, 2022


Honorable Chief Executive Mr John Lee, 

Deputy Director Lu Xinning,

Deputy Director Li Jiangzhou,

Chairman Bernard Chan, 

Consuls-General, 

Heads of Chambers,

Ladies and gentlemen,


Good afternoon!


China is a country with thousands of years of continuous civilization. Chronicle is an important carrier of the Chinese history and a unique treasure of the Chinese nation. With the support of the Central Government, the SAR Government and sponsors, Hong Kong Chronicles Institute brought together dignitaries, experts and scholars to jointly compile the Hong Kong Chronicles. The book series are of great historical significance and cultural value because it fills a gap in Chinese chronicles by recording Hong Kong’s 7,000-year history with close to 25 million Chinese characters. 

The publication of the English edition of the Overview & Chronology, the first book of the series, is a big event to celebrate. The book displays the unique charm of Hong Kong as an East-meets-West city where ancient and modern cultures also converge. It will help the international community know better about where Hong Kong came from, what journeys it has traveled, and where it is headed.

From the Hong Kong Chronicles, we can see the inseparable bond between Hong Kong and the motherland. In the speech on July 1, President Xi Jinping said at the beginning that “the history of the over 5,000-year civilization of the Chinese nation keeps records of our forefathers tilling the land here in southern China”. The Overview & Chronology records more than 6,000 major events throughout Hong Kong’s history by the year of 2017, showing in details how Hong Kong and the motherland shared weal and woe together for thousands of years. 

No matter in the 5,000-year history of the Chinese civilization, or China’s modern history following the Opium War, or the centenary history since the founding of the Communist Party of China, Hong Kong has all played its unique role in the country’s development.

Even during Hong Kong’s “separation period” from the motherland, the kinship between the Hong Kong compatriots and the people in the motherland carried forward. The root of Hong Kong is in the motherland, and its future will be much better with the support of the motherland.

From the Hong Kong Chronicles, we can see Hong Kong’s notable strengths of having the backing of the motherland while staying connected with the world. During China’s reform and opening-up, Hong Kong leveraged its role as an important window and bridge linking the Chinese mainland with the world after 1997. Hong Kong has thus made an irreplaceable contribution to the economic miracle of the motherland.

The Hong Kong Chronicles hammer home the message again that the best time for Hong Kong’s development is when it is closely integrated with the development of the motherland, and that whenever Hong Kong comes under difficulties, the motherland will always come to help without any reservation or hesitation. No matter in the past, at present or in the future, the strengths and opportunities of Hong Kong always lie in the motherland. 

President Xi stressed that the Central Government firmly supports Hong Kong in maintaining its unique status and advantages on a long-term basis, and reaffirmed the commitment of the Central Government to fully support Hong Kong in four different aspects so as to strengthen Hong Kong’s development momentum. 

Today’s Hong Kong is in a new stage of moving from chaos to stability and then to greater prosperity, and today’s China is marching on a new journey towards the second centenary goal. Against such a backdrop, Hong Kong, as a key facilitator of China’s dual-circulation economic paradigm, will surely enjoy a broader stage and a brighter prospect.

From the Hong Kong Chronicles, we can see the Central Government’s firm determination to fully and accurately implement the principle of “one country, two systems”. The past 25 years have witnessed “one country, two systems” turning from vision into reality and becoming a globally-recognized success. Facts have proved that “one country, two systems” has strong vitality and is an effective system to ensure Hong Kong’s lasting prosperity and stability and safeguard Hong Kong compatriots’ well-being.

At the same time, the policy of “one country, two systems”, as an initiative that has no precedent to follow, also encountered some obstacles and challenges in practice. Despite some voices talking down the policy and some tricks trying to damage the policy, the Central Government has always stayed committed to the original intention of “one country, two systems” and to its full and accurate implementation, which ensured the policy moving forward in the right direction. 

President Xi also solemnly declared to the international community that “there is no reason to change the ‘one country, two systems’ policy and it must be upheld for a long run.” The statement speaks volumes about the great confidence and rock-solid willpower of the Central Government in unswervingly implementing “one country, two systems”. 

Colleagues from the Chronicles Institute told me that the Hong Kong Chronicles will be updated every 20 years, and I believe that the “always up-to-date” Chronicles will be a proof showing that the “one country, two systems” policy, proposed, developed and defended by the Communist Party of China, is a good policy, that Hong Kong is on a right path when pursuing common development with the country, and that Hong Kong compatriots are capable of running Hong Kong affairs well.

Ladies and gentlemen, 

A review of the past points the way to the future. Great nations and great countries can always draw strengths from history. The practice of “one country, two systems” in Hong Kong has left us much valuable experience, which will help the policy to deliver greater success along the right track.

All People in Hong Kong, regardless of their nationality, are both stakeholders of Hong Kong’s prosperity and stability and beneficiaries of “one country, two systems”. 

I very much hope that all friends here will read the book Overview & Chronology and all the follow-up series of the Hong Kong Chronicles, because the books will help you to adopt a panoramic view of Hong Kong’s development, help you to have a glimpse of the historical wisdom and underlying rules of “one country, two systems”, and help you to think more deeply about who is creating a better future for Hong Kong, and who is undermining Hong Kong’s prosperity and stability. 

I hope that all of you will see beyond the surface and put Hong Kong’s development into historical perspective, recognize the unstoppable trend of Hong Kong moving to greater prosperity, and not be misguided by some doom-saying and slandering about “one country, two systems”. 

I also hope that you will take the initiative to seize the emerging opportunities from Hong Kong, deepen win-win cooperation with the city, and share development benefits together. If we all pitch in, what lies ahead for the city and for all of us is certainly a brighter future.

Thank you all.