BEIJING, Dec. 27 (Xinhua) -- The business environment in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) will continue improving as long as patriots administer the region, a Chinese expert said Monday.
Since its return to the motherland in 1997, Hong Kong has led the world in terms of business environment, and it was anti-China forces that sabotaged it, said Zhi Zhenfeng, a research fellow with the Institute of Law of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. Zhi was commenting on a white paper on Hong Kong's democratic progress at a press conference.
"In recent years, the destabilizing anti-China elements in Hong Kong and overseas had tried to undermine the rule of law in Hong Kong and caused severe social division, confrontation, and conflict. Their activities seriously harmed the region's business environment," Zhi said.
The state has staunchly protected the business environment in Hong Kong at crucial moments, said Zhi, citing significant measures such as the enforcement of the national security law and improvement of the electoral system in Hong Kong.
With the support from the central government and neighboring regions, Hong Kong has transformed from chaos to stability, with its economy recovered and business environment streamlined, he said.
Zhi suggested that the HKSAR government seek development opportunities brought by the country's reform and opening up and take an active part in national strategies such as the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and the Belt and Road Initiative to improve the business environment.
The white paper, "Hong Kong: Democratic Progress Under the Framework of One Country, Two Systems," was released by China's State Council Information Office on Dec. 20. Enditem
