HONG KONG — Hong Kong’s news media community on Tuesday held a celebration to mark the 77th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China, with nearly 500 guests from all sectors in attendance.

Officiating at the event were John Lee Ka-chiu, chief executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region; Sun Shangwu, deputy director of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the HKSAR; Chen Feng, deputy head of the Office for Safeguarding National Security; Hua You, deputy commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China in the HKSAR; Tan Zhiwei, deputy commander-in-chief of the People’s Liberation Army Hong Kong Garrison; Eric Chan Kwok-ki, HKSAR chief secretary for administration; Starry Lee Wai-king, National People’s Congress Standing Committee member and president of the Legislative Council; and Li Dahong, chairman of the Hong Kong Federation of Journalists.

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In his speech, Li proposed four expectations for the press: acting as “boosters of confidence” by connecting national strategy, Hong Kong’s plans and residents’ concerns; “unifiers of social consensus” by explaining in plain language how the plan benefits industry, livelihoods and jobs; “drivers of Hong Kong’s transformation” by covering the Northern Metropolis, the Hetao Shenzhen-Hong Kong Science and Technology Innovation Cooperation Zone and university laboratories to help turn AI and other new quality productive forces into products and industries; and “communicators linking China and the world” by using AI and new technologies to strengthen multilingual, cross-platform storytelling.

The event also incorporated design elements of Hong Kong’s first five-year development plan (2026–2030), with themed photo boards highlighting the Northern Metropolis, the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area development, talent hubs and social welfare.

The gathering extends a tradition that began in 1956, when executives of seven patriotic newspapers and news agencies held the first such celebration on Oct 1.