The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government held a flag-raising ceremony and a grand reception Thursday to celebrate the 71st anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China.

China's national flag and the HKSAR flag were hoisted and the national anthem was played at the Golden Bauhinia Square in Hong Kong on Thursday morning. Helicopters carrying the red national and HKSAR flags flew over Victoria Harbor in celebration and a fireboat sprayed a water-column salute.

When addressing the reception, HKSAR Chief Executive Carrie Lam said the central government has always been the strong backing to Hong Kong's prosperity and stability and has helped Hong Kong address various difficulties and challenges since its return to the motherland in 1997.

She cited recent support by the central government to launch mass COVID-19 testing and build a makeshift hospital and community treatment facilities in Hong Kong.

After social unrest last year and the implementation of the national security law in Hong Kong in June, it has been clear that Hong Kong must maintain a safe and stable environment to continue to make progress in various causes, Lam said.

Over the past three months, stability has been restored to Hong Kong society, national security safeguarded and people able to enjoy their basic rights and freedoms, she said.

Lam said the HKSAR government will more actively push Hong Kong to integrate into the national development and called on Hong Kong people to genuinely uphold the "one country, two systems" principle and the Hong Kong Basic Law and make concerted efforts to build Hong Kong into a better place.

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