From left third: Mao Chaofeng Chairman, Bauhinia Culture Group Co, Ltd; Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor Chief Executive, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region; Tan Tieniu Deputy Director, Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region; and Liu Guangyuan, Commissioner, Office of the Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of People's Republic of China in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, attend the opening ceremony of International Symposium On The Communist Party of China's History of 100 Years in Wan Chai on June 16, 2021. (CALVIN NG / CHINA DAILY)

HONG KONG - Leading local and foreign dignitaries gathered on Wednesday at a seminar in Hong Kong, celebrating the centenary of the Communist Party of China.

The full-day international symposium, held online and offline, is part of an array of activities to mark the upcoming 100th anniversary of the CPC, which falls on July 1.

Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor, deputy chief of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Tan Tieniu, and Liu Guangyuan, the Foreign Ministry's commissioner in Hong Kong SAR, officiated at the opening of the symposium.

Addressing the event, Tan said over the past 100 years, the CPC has led the Chinese nation to emerge from obscurity and made significant contributions to global development, safeguarding world peace and international order.  

Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor said Hong Kong benefited hugely from the nation’s support, led by the CPC, especially when the financial hub faced unprecedented challenges over the past two years

It is committed to a development path that suits China's national conditions, refusing to be confined to the beaten track or to copy the models used by others, Tan said. 

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He cited a poll, released last July by Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government, that Chinese people's satisfaction with the central government stood high at 93 percent, which is a living embodiment of the public’s recognition of the Party.

Officiating at the forum, Lam said Hong Kong benefited hugely from the nation’s support, led by the CPC, especially when the financial hub faced unprecedented challenges over the past two years.  

After the city was roiled by social unrest, the central government and the CPC tailor-made the National Security Law for Hong Kong and made a plan to improve the SAR’s electoral system, helping it restore order and peace.  

Tan Tieniu, Deputy Director of the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, speaks after the opening ceremony of International Symposium On The Communist Party of China's History of 100 Years in Wan Chai on June 16, 2021. (CALVIN NG / CHINA DAILY)

The two key initiatives demonstrated the nation’s unwavering determination in upholding “one country, two systems” and acting in accordance with the Constitution and the Basic Law, said Lam.  

The nation will go a long way in ensuring long-term prosperity and stability of Hong Kong, she said. 

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Lam said she is hopeful Hong Kong could contribute more to the Chinese dream by embracing patriotism and national pride.

Commissioner Liu said China, under the leadership of the CPC, is all about serving the people wholeheartedly and realizing and safeguarding the fundamental interests of the Chinese people, including those in Hong Kong.  

Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor, Chief Executive, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, speaks at the opening ceremony of International Symposium On The Communist Party of China's History of 100 Years in Wan Chai on 16th June 2021. (CALVIN NG / CHINA DAILY)

China will unswervingly safeguard national sovereignty by countering foreign sanctions, he stressed. “Any attempt, open or underhand, to interfere in China’s internal affairs or curb China's development is doomed to fail.” 

Liu said his office will continue to vigorously oppose external interference, serve Hong Kong SAR’s development, and join hands with the Hong Kong community to take diplomatic work relating to the city to new heights.

A group of eight keynote speakers, including former prime minister of Japan Yukio Hatoyama, former chief economist of Goldman Sachs Jim O’Neill and the former senior fellow at Cambridge University Martin Jacques are set to share their insights in the events.

Liu Guangyuan, commissioner of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, delivers a speech at the opening ceremony of the International Symposium On The Communist Party of China's History of 100 Years in Wan Chai, Hong Kong, on June 16, 2021. (CALVIN NG / CHINA DAILY)

In the afternoon, a roundtable panel discussion will be held among 10 other heavyweights, including John Ross, former director of the Department of Economy and Business Policy for the Mayor of London, Allan Zeman, chairman of the Lan Kwai Fong Group, and Robert Griffiths, general secretary of the Communist Party of Britain.

The seminar was jointly organized by the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the HKSAR and Bauhinia Culture, a Hong Kong-based media group.