HONG KONG -- Past experiences have proved the principle of "one country, two systems" an unprecedented success, said Donald Tsang, chief executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR).
"I profoundly believe in a better future of Hong Kong," Tsang told Xinhua in an interview before the 15th anniversary of Hong Kong's return to the motherland. On July 1, he will leave the post which he has serviced for seven years.
Wearing his trademark bowtie, this witness of history reviewed the city's progress and changes in the past 15 years in Cantonese-accent Mandarin.
ACHIEVEMENT OF "HONG KONG DREAM"
When he took office in 2005, Tsang created the vision of "Hong Kong Dream", vowing to establish Hong Kong as "city of opportunity" and "locus amoenus", Latin for "pleasant place."
Looking back, Tsang is glad to see that achievements made in the past 15 years are significant. The size of Hong Kong's economy expanded by 55 percent in real terms from 1997-2011, while the number of jobs increased by 500,000, and the employed population reached a record high of 3.64 million.
"We nearly create a full-employment society," he said.
Excited about the international recognition for Hong Kong's economic status, Tsang also listed a number of "top" and "highest" stories about this international metropolis, including the city's credit rating upgraded to "AAA", making it one of the two Asian economies with such a highest rating.
In the past two or three years, funds raised through initial public offerings on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange were the highest in the world. Meanwhile, the city overtook the United States and Britain for the first time to be the top spot of Financial Development Index, which was released by the World Economic Forum by the end of 2011.
It meant Hong Kong has become "the most developed" financial market in the world, Tsang said.
Besides, People's livelihood is highlighted in Tsang's platform. Public expenditure registered an accumulated growth of 55 percent, demonstrating the government's commitment to sharing the fruits of economic prosperity with the people and improving their living standards.
"We have also set the timetable for universal suffrage and taken the two elections in 2012 closer to this ultimate goal by adopting methods that are more open and contain greater democratic elements," Tsang said.
"Even though Hong Kong is still facing challenges, we have surly made considerable progress," Tsang said.
