It's been 21 years since Hong Kong returned to China. Last year, President Xi Jinping delivered a speech outlining Hong Kong's importance to the nation. Much progress has been made in the 12 months since. CGTN's Quan Chenchen has the story.

Both China's central government and Hong Kong authority are supportive of innovation and entrepreneurship in the special administrative region. The central government has allocated the equivalent of three million US dollars for various programs in Hong Kong. The region's leaders have also made the development of innovative technologies among their top priorities. There are over 700 companies in areas managed by Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks, employing nearly 10-thousand workers. One of the research institutes there won 14 awards at the recent Geneva International Exhibition of Inventions.

ALBERT WONG, CEO HONG KONG SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY PARKS "It is an opportunity that our country has positioned Hong Kong as one of the world centers for innovative technology."

China's rapid economic development also has opened plenty of doors. Hong Kong's part in the HK-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge has already been completed. And the region continues to make progress in the construction of a third runway at the Hong Kong International Airport.

JACK SO CHAK-KWONG, CHAIRMAN HK AIRPORT AUTHORITY "The construction of the third runway includes a terminal, 3800 meters of runway and 650 hectares of land reclamation."

In the middle of June, Hong Kong's Legislative Council gave its stamp of approval for the Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong high-speed rail link. The rail line is in its trial operation stage. Once completed, all three cities will be just an hour away from each other.

In his speech during the 20th anniversary of Hong Kong's return to the motherland in 2017, President Xi said Hong Kong should combine its competitiveness with the Central government's strong support. He called on Hong Kong to stand behind the One Country, Two Systems principle that recognizes differences between the region and the rest of the mainland, while celebrating their unity.

Hong Kong's chief executive Carrie Lam says she and her team have worked to enlarge the region's development potential, and respond to social demands.

CARRIE LAM CHIEF EXECUTIVE OF HONG KONG "My team and I manage Hong Kong affairs under President Xi's request, especially in something related to the 'One Country and Two Systems' Principle. When facing something controversial, we have always stood firm. With the central government's support, we made achievements in the construction of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and the Belt & Road Initiative. We also introduced measures to benefit economic development. Hong Kong will better integrate itself with the larger development picture of the country."

Official data show Hong Kong's GDP in 2017 grew 3.8 percent, higher than the average 2.9 percent growth of the past 10 years. The GDP growth for the first quarter reached 4.7 percent year-on-year. The unemployment rate dropped to 2.8 percent at the first half of the year, the lowest in 20 years. Quan Chenchen,CGTN