Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday made an address at the meeting celebrating the 25th anniversary of Hong Kong's return to the motherland and the inaugural ceremony of the sixth-term government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.

The speech by Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, has elaborated the significance of adhering to the "one country, two systems" principle, and drawn a blueprint for a brighter future of Hong Kong, experts and professionals worldwide have said.

A BETTER CHANCE AT DEVELOPMENT

"Since its return, Hong Kong, amid China's monumental reform and opening-up efforts, has been breaking new ground, functioning as an important bridge between the Chinese mainland and the rest of the world. As a result, it has made irreplaceable contributions to our country's economic miracle marked by long-term, stable, and rapid growth," Xi said in his speech at the meeting.

Stephen Perry, chairman of Britain's 48 Group Club, said "China has, along with Asian nations, the best potential growth -- 30 percent of world growth comes from China."

As part of China, Hong Kong has a very important role to play, Perry said, noting that the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area "will be the leading region in China."

Pui Jeng Leong, a media veteran in Brunei, said that he was impressed by Xi's speech at the celebration, adding that over the years, he has found that Hong Kong people are getting better at speaking Mandarin, and their recognition of the motherland is growing stronger.

Backed by the large mainland market and linked to international capital, Hong Kong's political, economic, social and business environment has further improved, laying a solid foundation for the city's future development, he said.

The Chinese president noted in his speech that "Be it the global financial crisis, the COVID-19 epidemic, or social unrest, none of them have stopped Hong Kong from marching forward."

Selcuk Colakoglu, director of the Turkish Center for Asia-Pacific Studies, said despite all the challenges, Hong Kong's social vitality and average life expectancy now rank among the highest in the world, and "Hong Kong's status as an international financial, trade and shipping center has been consolidated and enhanced."

For Cavince Adhere, a Kenya-based international relations scholar, political stability is the foundation of progress. He said that by adopting the Hong Kong National Security Law and improving the city's electoral system, Hong Kong's stability has been further guaranteed.

This provides a strong platform for the city's greater integration with the rest of China, thus a better chance for Hong Kong's sustainable growth, said Adhere.