This year marks the 20th anniversary of Hong Kong's return to the mainland. CGTN sat down with Hong Kong Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying, to talk about the issues of concern for Hong Kong society, the Great Bay Area as well as the Special Administrative Region's role in the Belt and Road Initiative.

Leung Chun-ying on Hong Kong people's concerns

Leung told CGTN that according to the polls, the single most important concern on the minds of Hong Kong people is housing, with housing supply one of the four main areas of work for the Hong Kong SAR government. 

How difficult is it being the head of Hong Kong? 

Leung told CGTN that according to the Basic Law, the chief executive is accountable to both the Hong Kong people and the central government. Overall, the Basic Law sets the constitutional arrangements. Leung says he has recognized the long-standing problems such as housing, environment, poverty and aging, which are the four main focuses of the current government.  

He says since taking office, the outgoing administration has released a work report on an annual basis, and their final work report will be released very soon. Leung says it is up to people to judge this government’s job by going through these work reports, which contain detailed facts and figures. 

Connecting the government and grassroots

Leung says this government communicates through the media to the Hong Kong people, and also communicates with people directly by setting up neighborhood visits and town hall meetings. Leung believes the meetings are very effective, since they represent the first time in Hong Kong history that people have been able to meet with the head of the government face to face. The government has provided responses to all questions, no matter how critical. 

Reflections on 'Occupy Central' 

Leung told CGTN that the government was well-prepared for the "Occupy Central" movement, and that they were prepared to withdraw the government headquarters and relocate elsewhere, because the LegCo building was the main target of the movement. The government's advanced preparation gave enough time for each side to resolve the issue.

Leung thinks the administration was proactive in terms of communication with the community and the protesters. On the other hand, Leung says the government successfully avoided physical confrontation between the police and the protesters, and the issue was resolved peacefully.

Relations between Hong Kong and the mainland 

Leung said that he encourages the Hong Kong people to travel to the mainland more. Partly due to Hong Kong people’s hectic lifestyles, they do not travel enough to the mainland. On the other hand, Hong Kong people need to renew their knowledge of the mainland, said Leung, because it has experienced unprecedented changes over the past few years.     

Leung said that with Hong Kong’s return to China, the main sectors of the Hong Kong economy including financial services, tourism and professional services have enjoyed steady growth year on year.  

Hong Kong in the Belt and Road Initiative 

Leung said that among the more than 600 cities in China, Hong Kong is the most open and international one. Under “One Country, Two Systems”, Hong Kong is enjoying the added benefits of practicing another system, which is more similar to the international community. Leung believes there is huge potential for Hong Kong’s presence in the markets along the Belt and Road route. 

Meanwhile, Leung says his administration is encouraging Hong Kong people to join the Belt and Road Initiative. Two weeks ago, the government organized an event with foreign businessmen, which was webcast to schools and attended by 500 young people. 

On the Greater Bay Area 

Leung said that Hong Kong people, including those working in the business sector, are all excited about the plans for the Greater Bay Area. Among the 11 cities in the cluster, Hong Kong stands out, thanks to its function and economic structure. Hong Kong can bring its strengths to the joint development project, and, as an international city, can bring the other 10 cities closer to the rest of the world.

Young people and education  

Leung told CGTN that while the administration would like to achieve the sense of being part of China and Chinese people as quickly as possible, it is important to realize that there were 150 years of colonial rule before 1997, so there is still work to be done in that regard. Leung said the SAR government is working on promoting national education and organizing visits to the mainland. Meanwhile, he also welcomed mainland teenagers to Hong Kong to study and interact with Hong Kong teenagers, as a way of bringing young people closer. 

Leung on his successor Carrie Lam 

Leung told CGTN that Carrie Lam is a very capable person, who he has worked with in the past five years. Leung hopes society will give her the space and time needed to prove to the Hong Kong people what she could do for the SAR.  

Future of Hong Kong’s political system

Leung told CGTN that there is so much potential and so many opportunities offered to young people in Hong Kong nowadays. He said 40 years ago, an engineering major student could probably be selling computers, or doing maintenance work on elevators, but today, with an engineering degree, there are huge infrastructure projects offering opportunities. 

Graduates are able to join the country’s engineering programs, such as building the C919 passenger jet, or joining the space program. Leung revealed he is very envious of the young people in Hong Kong today, because of the opportunities available to them.

Leung’s plans after retirement?

As vice chairman of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, Leung said he would focus more on matters at a national level, related to the mainland, the Belt and Road Initiative and the development of the Greater Bay Area.