Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, on July 1 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 following is the full text of the address.

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

Xi Jinping

(July 1, 2022)

Fellow Compatriots,

Dear Friends,

Today we are gathered here to celebrate this grand occasion marking the 25th anniversary of Hong Kong's return to the motherland, and to hold the inaugural ceremony of the sixth-term government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR).

First of all, I would like to extend sincere greetings to all the people of Hong Kong. I also extend warm congratulations to the newly inaugurated sixth-term HKSAR Chief Executive Mr. John Lee, principal officials of the sixth-term HKSAR government, and members of the Executive Council. And let me express heartfelt appreciation to all our compatriots both at home and abroad, and international friends for their support for the cause of "one country, two systems" and for Hong Kong's prosperity and stability.

In the over 5,000-year history of Chinese civilization, our ancestors working hard on the land south of the Five Ridges is an important chapter. In the history of modern China after the Opium War in 1840, the humiliation of ceding Hong Kong is a page of pain, and also included is the Chinese people's fight for the survival of our country. The past century has witnessed how the Communist Party of China has united and led the Chinese people in its magnificent endeavors for a better future, to which fellow Chinese in Hong Kong have made unique and significant contributions. Throughout history, people in Hong Kong have always maintained a close bond with the motherland in weal and woe.