On the morning of July 1, 2022, 150 student representatives from the four colleges of The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen participated in a solemn flag-raising ceremony with university officers and faculty. After the National Flag of the People's Republic of China, also known as the Five-star Red Flag, was raised on the campus, they joined to watch the entire live broadcast of the Celebrations of the 25th Anniversary of Hong Kong's Return to the Motherland and the Inaugural Ceremony of the 6th Term Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. 

The historic celebrations took place from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Center, where Xi Jinping, General Secretary of the CPC Central Committee, Chairman of the CPC Central Military Commission, and President of the People's Republic of China, attended and gave an important address. The ceremony also marked the swearing-in of John Lee Ka-chiu as the Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR). 

In commemoration of the 25th anniversary of the return of Hong Kong, CUHK-Shenzhen President Yangsheng Xu said: "The return is a complicated and sophisticated process. The key lies in the restoration of people's hearts and minds, and in the final analysis, the cultural integration and symbiosis between the two sides." Mutual respect and understanding, in his opinion, are prerequisites for cultural integration. To this end, both Hong Kong and the Mainland should have greater empathy for each other's cultures and consider for each other.

In his address, President Xi stressed that the next five years are important for Hong Kong to break new ground and achieve another leap forward. "While there are both opportunities and challenges, opportunities outnumber challenges. Hong Kong is the home of all its people, and harmony in a family brings success in everything. It is my hope that all fellow compatriots in Hong Kong will carry on the mainstream values, which are characterized by the love of both the motherland and Hong Kong as the core and are in conformity with the principle of ‘one country, two systems,’ and that they will continue to follow the fine traditions of inclusiveness, seeking common ground while reserving differences, and keeping an unyielding spirit and the courage to strive for success with a view to creating a better future," said Xi.

Click to watch wishes from the university officers and faculty members from Hong Kong