New year message from the Chief Executive to Hong Kong people living overseas
Hello, fellow Hong Kong citizens living overseas. On the occasion of the Lunar New Year, may I wish you and your family good fortune and good health in the Year of the Ox.
In the past years, whenever I was on official visit overseas, I tried to meet with Hong Kong people living there. This gave me the opportunity to brief them on Hong Kong's latest situation, and for them to share with me their experiences of studying, working and setting up businesses abroad. I naturally also used the occasion to thank them for supporting the work of our overseas Economic and Trade Offices set up in different parts of the world.
In the past year or so, Hong Kong has experienced severe challenges. Our economy has been hard hit and people's lives have been seriously affected. Following the implementation of the National Security Law in June last year, social stability has been restored in Hong Kong, and people's rights and freedoms have been upheld. I am pleased to say that the latest wave of the COVID-19 epidemic is now apparently under control. With the full implementation of stringent anti-epidemic measures and the rolling out of a government vaccination programme in due course, we will be able to gradually resume normal activities, including cross-boundary travel with the Mainland and other places.
Recently, the emergence of discussions about emigration in Hong Kong, together with biased reports on Hong Kong's situation by some media, may make you feel a bit worried about Hong Kong's future. But the fact is the Central Government has been fully and faithfully implementing "One Country, Two Systems", "Hong Kong people administering Hong Kong" and a high degree of autonomy. Hong Kong has upheld the rule of law, judicial independence, free flow of capital, simple low-tax system and more, and is benefiting from the rapid development of our country. Numerous companies around the world hope to enter the huge and expanding market in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. Taking advantage of its proximity to the Mainland, Hong Kong is fully participating in the Greater Bay Area development with the support of the Central Government and is seizing the unlimited opportunities that it brings.
Hong Kong welcomes talents from all over the world. In particular, we welcome overseas Hong Kong citizens to return to Hong Kong for development. In recent years, we have implemented measures to assist the second generation of Hong Kong people who have moved overseas to return to Hong Kong. We are also going to introduce a Global STEM Professorship Scheme to attract innovation and technology talents from all over the world. I also announced recently that we will amend the law to allow non-locally trained doctors who are Hong Kong permanent residents to practise in Hong Kong. I welcome everyone to make use of these policies and come back to build Hong Kong together and contribute to our country.
Once again, I wish you all a very successful and happy year ahead.
