Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu delivers a speech via video link for a forum hosted by Master Insight Media Ltd in Hong Kong on Oct 27, 2023. (PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY)

Hong Kong needs to consolidate its advantages and actively integrate itself into the nation’s development while maintaining connections with the international community to overcome challenges and seize opportunities in the current intricate international geopolitical situation, Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu said in a video speech at a local forum on Friday.

The current international environment is complex and volatile, and Hong Kong, as a highly open and free economy, is facing enormous pressure as far as social, livelihood, and economic development is concerned, Lee told attendees at the forum which addressed the challenges facing the city amid geopolitical changes.

Hong Kong will develop multilateral and free trade ties with other economies based on mutual benefit, and integrate into national development plans such as the Belt and Road Initiative, said the CE

In the face of ongoing challenges, Lee said Hong Kong should continue to make good use the "one country, two systems" principle, and leverage the strong support from the motherland while being connected to the world.

The city will develop multilateral and free trade ties with other economies based on mutual benefit, and integrate into national development plans such as the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), he added. 

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Lee cited President Xi Jinping’s speech at the third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation held Beijing in mid-Oct, saying that mankind is a global community with a shared future and only by cooperation can mankind achieve win-win outcomes. He noted the BRI , which aims for common development, avoids ideological confrontation, geopolitical rivalry, and bloc politics.

Also speaking at the forum hosted by Master Insight Media Ltd, Paul Lam Ting-kwok, the secretary for justice, said Hong Kong people should be self-confident, self-protective and ambitious for self-improvement as the city, with its unique international status, is "a strategic battleground" destined to encounter challenges posed by geopolitics.

This photo shows part of the audience as Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu delivers a speech via video link for a forum hosted by Master Insight Media Ltd in Hong Kong on Oct 27, 2023. (PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY)

Lam called on Hong Kong people to maintain their confidence in the city’s rule of law. At the same time, mechanisms, laws, and regulations should be adopted to ensure a safe environment for the city, he said.

Lam also emphasized that laws and regulations that safeguard national security will never interfere with human rights. At the same time, Hong Kong should also take a proactive stance to turn challenges into opportunities. 

Secretary for Justice Paul Lam TIng-kwok delivers a speech at a forum hosted by Master Insight Media Ltd in Hong Kong on Oct 27, 2023. (PHOTO / HKSAR GOVERNMENT)

He said the city should look for new opportunities in the international arena, make more new friends, and provide assistance to the international community, such as helping other countries to train foreign-related legal talents.

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Several prominent scholars and experts were also invited to discuss the way forward for Hong Kong at the one-day forum.