Foreword

This year marks the 75^th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China, a significant milestone in the development of our Motherland. Under our country's great leadership, people of China have taken brave steps through challenges with determination and unity in the pursuit of strength and prosperity. The achievements are remarkable. Apart from sustaining improvement in people's livelihood by boosting economic growth, our country has also astonished the world with its outstanding capabilities in areas such as innovation and technology, green development, aerospace endeavours and sports competitions. As Chinese, we all stand tall and take pride in witnessing the marvellous accomplishments of our country.

On the journey to building itself into a great country and realising the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, our country remains steadfast in opening up to the world and pursuing high-quality development. That brings unlimited opportunities to Hong Kong. The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) will definitely capitalise on our distinctive advantages of enjoying staunch support of the Motherland and being closely connected to the world to consolidate our institutional strength and increase our competitiveness, while proactively integrating into the overall development of the country. We will strive for the full and faithful implementation of the principles of "One Country, Two Systems" and "patriots administering Hong Kong", focus on development and seize the opportunities arising from the development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and the Belt and Road Initiative, with a view to creating a better future for our people.

In celebrating the 75^th National Day, we would like to express our heartfelt gratitude to the Central Government for gifting us another pair of giant pandas, bringing even more happiness and laughter to people in Hong Kong. The SAR Government joins hands with various sectors and community organisations to hold a wide array of celebratory events across the 18 districts to share the joy and pride with the public, and to foster patriotic sentiments. I cordially invite members of the public to take part in the celebrations, and I wish our Motherland continued prosperity and vibrancy.