Hong Kong definitely to have better tomorrow: spokesman

The tomorrow of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) will definitely be better, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman said on Thursday, in commenting on Hong Kong's return to the top three in global competitiveness ranking.

Hong Kong has climbed two spots to rank the third in the World Competitiveness Yearbook 2025 published Tuesday by the Switzerland-based International Institute for Management Development, marking the region's return to the top three for the first time since 2019.

Most notably, Hong Kong ranks the first worldwide in tax policy and business legislation, according to the report.

"It is a recognition of Hong Kong’s unique position and strength, and the prospect of One Country, Two Systems. Hong Kong has entered a stage where it is set to thrive. It is becoming more attractive as an international financial center, and it is drawing more foreign companies and individuals to make investments and start new businesses. Hong Kong remains one of the world’s freest economies and most competitive regions," said Guo Jiakun, the spokesman, at a press conference in Beijing.

"According to statistics, the Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited (HKEX) gained No.1 spot in global fundraising in the first half of this year, with a total amount of 14 billion U.S. dollars. The number of overseas visitors received by Hong Kong in the first five months of this year rose by 18 percent year on year, and a number of large international companies have redomiciled to Hong Kong. Those are votes of confidence for Hong Kong from the international community," he said.

"The Hong Kong National Security Law will soon enter its fifth year of implementation. We believe that with the institutional safeguards of One Country, Two Systems, and given Hong Kong’s unique advantage of having the backing of the motherland and being connected to the world as well as a secure environment for high-quality development, Hong Kong is headed to an even brighter future," said the spokesman.

Hong Kong definitely to have better tomorrow: spokesman

China's fast development over the past decades has significantly transformed the society, said Patrick Herminie, president of the Republic of Seychelles, as he recalled his first visit to the country about 35 years ago.

Herminie made the comments in an interview with China Media Group (CMG) in Seychelles' capital Victoria, which was aired on Friday.

He spoke highly of the development China has achieved over the past three decades, especially in emerging industries such as artificial intelligence.

"I was surprised, I was impressed by the level of development, technological development and the use of artificial intelligence for better public service, smart services. I think China is leading the world. That's my personal opinion. You know, when I first visited China some 35 years ago, there were only bicycles. But today, China is just incredible -- the roads, the cars. It's a revolution, it's not even a revolution, it's a transformation of a society. And I think, yes, you have done very well, and I was very impressed with what I saw," said Herminie.

China has remained the world's second-largest economy for more than a decade and developed the largest middle-income group, while overall living standards have continued to rise.

The country is also driving continuous breakthroughs in frontier technologies, fostering the development of future industries as part of efforts to cultivate new growth engines.

China's fast development over past decades transforms society: President of Seychelles