Hong Kong society has recently focused its attention on the proposed national security legislation. While the proposed new law naturally attracted public attention, the main theme of the two sessions has been the annual work report delivered by Premier Li Keqiang. At this critical juncture as Sino-US rivalry intensifies, the country’s overall development is in fact more vital to Hong Kong’s future, which is the issue from which we should not shift away our focus.

China has entered a new stage of development in 2020. For a major developing country, managing the pace of its sustainable development on a highly complicated and ever-changing global landscape has become an art of governance. To this end, every specific undertaking mentioned in the annual work report has great significance.

The report noticeably leaves out an annual GDP growth target, which has been set every year by the central government since 1994. The omission of growth forecasts this year is merely a pragmatic response to the uncertain economic and trade environment under the global COVID-19 pandemic. To cope with future challenges, the central government takes a more conservative approach to reduce unnecessary pressure on its economic sectors. With such adjustments, the State can mobilize resources to focus on ensuring “stability on the six fronts” (employment, finance, trade, foreign investment, investment, expectations) and “security in the six areas” (employment, basic livelihoods, markets, food and energy safety, stability of the supply, and industrial chain and basic operations).

The work report also shows the central government is attaching more importance to targeted policies. For example, the work report unveils “special measures for special periods”. On the one hand, 2 trillion yuan (US$283 billion) of special funds have been set aside for job security and basic livelihood improvement; and a special transfer payment mechanism has been established to reach out to the grassroots in both urban and countryside areas, directly benefitting enterprises and residents. On the other hand, the central government takes the lead in reducing expenses: Non-urgent and non-essential expenditure at the central government level should be reduced by more than 50 percent. The stipulations on expenditure in the report make the spending and savings more effective and efficient.

Equally worth mentioning is that the work report demonstrated the commitment by China to total poverty elimination. The country will eliminate absolute poverty by the end of this year by building a relatively well-off society. To this end, the central government will reinforce poverty alleviation measures to ensure all Chinese citizens can climb out of poverty. Upon completion, this undertaking will not only be an extraordinary achievement for a country with a population of 1.4 billion, but also a significant contribution to the world’s goal of poverty alleviation. China’s experience in eradicating poverty as a developing country will serve as a good reference for other smaller nations.

Taking the lead in counteracting trade protectionism, which is becoming more prevalent around the world, is another significant undertaking of China in the near future. China has proposed to significantly reduce the entry barriers for foreign investment to access the mainland market. The central government will give the free trade zones a greater degree of autonomy in the reform and opening-up so that domestic and foreign enterprises will be treated equally. A huge market embracing fair competition will be made available to the world. In contrast with a number of countries espousing protectionism, measures proposed by China to promote trade and investment liberalization have demonstrated its commitment to the international community in an era characterized by confrontations and disputes.

When the world is in upheaval, we must first stand firm. Li’s work report explains China’s methodical approach to ensure economic and social stability necessary for future development. With a solid foundation, the country can step into the international arena to take on more responsibility as a global citizen. The world will see China’s bona fide development and growth momentum, which will result in healthier international ties. As for Hong Kong, the interaction between the SAR and the motherland will be crucial to the city’s future.

As Winston Churchill, the prime minister who led Britain out of its darkest period, once said, “It is always wise to look ahead, but difficult to look further than you can see.” Similarly, if we look further, we will agree that a better China means a better Hong Kong.

The author is senior research officer of the One Country Two Systems Research Institute.

The views do not necessarily reflect those of China Daily.