As people across the Chinese mainland celebrated in jubilation the 72nd anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China, Hong Kong people were no less exuberant in celebrating the great day in activities organized by community groups across the city on Friday.
There is a lot to celebrate on this year’s National Day, not the least of which is the realization of the nation’s first centenary goal of building a moderately prosperous society in all respects, or xiaokang, as declared by President Xi Jinping on July 1 in Beijing when he delivered a speech at a ceremony marking the centenary of the Communist Party of China.
This dream of the Chinese people, stretching back over 2,000 years, had shunned innumerous generations, who suffered from natural calamities, social unrest, poverty, and wars, including brutal foreign invasions. It had remained a dream since the Book of Songs first mentioned the concept — until it was realized this year by the People’s Republic of China under the leadership of the CPC, a political party that has unswervingly embraced a people-centered ideology in governing the country over the past 72 years.
This historic feat has ushered the nation into a new journey toward its second centenary goal of becoming a modern socialist country in all respects, which is essentially the realization of the “Chinese dream” of national rejuvenation, or building a society featuring common prosperity, fairness and justice by 2049, when the PRC will mark its centenary.
Hong Kong people share this Chinese dream with their compatriots on the mainland, not least because blood is thicker than water. The special administrative region is an inseparable part of China, and has the motherland to fall back on during crises, such as the water shortage in the 1960s, the 1997 Asian financial crisis and the 2019 “black revolution”, which pushed the city to the brink of the abyss.
It was the central authorities who put Hong Kong back on track by promulgating the National Security Law for the special administrative region and introducing improvements to its electoral system, ensuring the region’s long-term stability and prosperity.
In contrast, Washington politicians tried their best to harm Hong Kong by egging on the black-clad rioters, revoking Hong Kong’s special trade status, and banning the “Made in Hong Kong” label on products bound for the US. All these were done while claiming they cared for Hong Kong people. The fact is, Hong Kong could be sacrificed whenever the need arises in their anti-China crusade.
Most Hong Kong people have realized their future lies in a strong and prosperous China, not in certain Western politicians’ hypocritical narratives and political machinations. Hong Kong people have a significant role to play in the pursuit of the Chinese dream, as suggested by the national 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-25), and will benefit hugely from the process as they did in the past decades by playing the role of a unique intermediary between the mainland and the world.