"Hong Kong's tomorrow will be better": British Consul-General

The year 2007 marks the 10th anniversary of Hong Kong's return to the motherland, and Hong Kong now enjoys prosperity and stability, said British Consul-General in Hong Kong Stephen Bradley Monday.

"We believe Hong Kong's tomorrow will be better," he said in Chinese at a reception that he hosted to welcome the coming Spring Festival, the most important Chinese traditional festival, which falls on Feb. 18.

Bradley attributed Hong Kong's prosperity and stability to the people of Hong Kong and the government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) as well as to all Chinese people and China's central government.

"We, the British side, feel equally satisfied with and proud of Hong Kong's achievements," he said, noting that British companies and citizens in Hong Kong also made great contribution in many aspects.

The British government will continue to firmly fulfill its commitments on the future prosperity and stability of Hong Kong in line with the Sino-British joint declaration and the Basic Law of HKSAR, he said.

"While looking forward to the coming of July 1, we express our most sincere wishes to the future of Hong Kong," he said.

Hong Kong was formally returned to China on July 1, 1997.

Present at the reception were Lu Xinhua, commissioner of China's Foreign Affair Ministry in HKSAR, government officials of HKSAR and representatives of various sectors.

Source: Xinhua