HKSAR must integrate into national development through institutional strengths: political advisor

Aligning with the nation's 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-2030), the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) must seize the moment and better integrate itself into the nation's overall development by relying on its institutional strengths, a national political adviser from the region said on Wednesday.

Prior to the closing meeting of the fourth session of the 14th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) on Wednesday, members of the National Committee of the CPPCC from the HKSAR and the Macao Administrative Region met with the media in a group interview.

Tu Haiming, vice-chairman of the Committee on Liaison with Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan and Overseas Chinese of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference and a member of the CPPCC National Committee, underlined HKSAR's achievements over the past year.

"Last year, the ringing of the gong was heard at the Hong Kong Stock Exchange every three days on average, with a total of 119 companies listed throughout the year, raising 285.8 billion Hong Kong dollars, ranking first globally. I want to tell everyone that 94 percent of these companies are from the mainland, and they raised 88 percent of the total funds," he said.

"In last August, the Ministry of Science and Technology issued certificates to 15 national key laboratories in Hong Kong. The HKSAR government announced that it would allocate 20 million Hong Kong dollars annually to each key laboratory as research funding," said Tu.

Hong Kong, with its rich experience in international markets, can be a launchpad for Chinese mainland enterprises to go global, according to Tu.

Tu also noted the region's advantages in institutional strengths and green projects.

"Hong Kong serves as a bridge for institutional innovation. Hong Kong's rules, regulations, and management standards are all aligned with those of the nation. We can contribute to our country's next step of high-level opening up, reforms, and institutional opening up," he said.

HKSAR must integrate into national development through institutional strengths: political advisor

A Chinese mainland spokesperson on Wednesday slammed Taiwan leader Lai Ching-te over his latest remarks on cross-Strait relations, accusing him of promoting secessionism and escalating tensions across the Taiwan Strait.

Chen Binhua, spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, said in a press release that Lai's speech marking his second anniversary in office was "filled with lies and deception, hostility and confrontation."

Chen accused Lai of stubbornly adhering to a secessionist stance in pursuit of "Taiwan independence," while exaggerating the so-called threats from the mainland and intensifying confrontation across the Strait.

Lai played an old trick of advocating the secessionist agenda on one hand and, on the other, calling insincerely for dialogue and exchanges with the mainland, attempting to mislead people in Taiwan and deceive the international community, he said.

Chen said that these common tricks have been seen through by more and more Taiwanese people. Their deceptive and provocative actions will be met with firm opposition from compatriots on both sides and the international community, and are doomed to fail.

Reaffirming the mainland's position on the Taiwan question, Chen said Taiwan has never been a country, is not one now, and will never become one in the future.

He described the Taiwan question as a historical issue left over from a Chinese civil war in the 1940s.

No election result in Taiwan could alter the fact that Taiwan is part of China or sever the historical and legal bonds linking the two sides of the Strait, according to Chen.

The mainland would never allow any person or force to pursue secessionist activities under any pretext, he added.

Calling secessionists "the chief culprit" who undermines cross-Strait peace, Chen said the mainland would continue to uphold the one-China principle and the 1992 Consensus, unite broadly with Taiwan compatriots, combat secessionist activities, and safeguard peace and stability across the Strait.

Central government spokesperson refutes Lai Ching-te's latest remarks, warns against secessionist moves