On 16 June 2026, Chinese Ambassador to the UK Zheng Zeguang attended the celebration marking the 100th anniversary of the Heung Yee Kuk New Territories and the 15th anniversary of its Overseas Advisory Committee. Nearly 300 Hong Kong compatriots living in the UK attended the event.

In his remarks, Ambassador Zheng extended warm congratulations on the 100th anniversary of the Heung Yee Kuk and the 15th anniversary of its Overseas Advisory Committee. He highly commended the organisation for consistently upholding the tradition of loving the country, Hong Kong and their hometowns. In particular, since Hong Kong’s return to the motherland, the Heung Yee Kuk has firmly supported the principle of One Country, Two Systems, resolutely backed the HKSAR Government’s administration according to law, actively participated in social affairs, and made important contributions to Hong Kong’s transition from chaos to order and from stability to prosperity. The Overseas Advisory Committee of the Heung Yee Kuk has united fellow villagers overseas and Hong Kong compatriots in the UK, strongly supported the development of their hometowns, and played an important role in promoting Hong Kong’s development and fostering cooperation between the peoples of China and the UK.

Ambassador Zheng noted that over the 29 years since Hong Kong’s return to the motherland, the Central Government has unswervingly implemented the principles of One Country, Two Systems, “Hong Kong people administering Hong Kong,” and a high degree of autonomy, enabling Hong Kong to achieve continuous progress in all fields. Today, Hong Kong has entered a new stage of advancing from stability to prosperity. It has maintained its status as an international financial, shipping and trading centre, while its strengths in the rule of law, freedom and openness have become even more prominent. In the first quarter of this year, Hong Kong’s GDP grew by 5.9% year on year, and the city became the world’s largest cross-border wealth management centre. Looking ahead, Hong Kong enjoys unique advantages by relying on the motherland while connecting with the world. The country’s 15th Five-Year Plan has endowed Hong Kong with new functions and strategic positioning, opening up fresh opportunities for its development. Accelerated progress in both “hard connectivity” through infrastructure and “soft connectivity” through planning and institutional coordination across Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao is injecting new momentum into Hong Kong’s growth. As a “super connector” and “super value-adder,” Hong Kong is well positioned to achieve new development in the course of China’s broader opening-up to the world.

Ambassador Zheng encouraged Hong Kong compatriots in the UK to remain committed to the values of loving the country, Hong Kong and their hometowns, support Hong Kong’s deeper integration into the country’s overall development strategy, carry forward the fine traditions of Chinese culture, and make new contributions to Hong Kong’s long-term prosperity and stability as well as to exchanges and cooperation between the peoples of China and the UK.