On July 1st, Hong Kong will celebrate its 25th anniversary of returning to China. In this time, the city has seen amazing progress.
7月1日，香港将举行回归祖国25周年纪念活动。25年里，这座城市取得了举世瞩目的进步。For example, residents with a Hong Kong passport can now easily travel to 168 countries and regions, compared to only 40 in 1997. Hong Kong's GDP in 2021 stood at 2.86 trillion Hong Kong dollars, more than double that of 1.37 trillion in '97. And since the return, life expectancy of Hong Kong people has increased from 79.5 years to 85.4 by 2021. 例如，持有香港护照的居民现在可以轻松前往168个国家和地区，而在1997年只有40个。2021年，香港的GDP为2.86万亿港元，比1997年的1.37万亿港元增加了一倍多。自回归以来，香港居民的平均寿命已从79.5岁提高到2021年的85.4岁。Though the city has flourished, there have also been setbacks.Years ago, chaos reigned as violent protests, foreign interference, and an out-of-control pandemic swept through the metropolis.
几年前，暴力示威、外国干涉和疫情失控导致这座大都市混乱不堪。And while the immediate task is to bring the pandemic under control, the far more massive challenge is to provide more affordable housing for the young and low-income brackets.虽然眼前的任务是控制住疫情，但更大的挑战在于为年轻人和低收入群体提供更多经济型住房。Hong Kong is the least affordable place in the world. More than 220,000 people live in the "cage homes" or subdivided flats, which contributes to anxiety and depression.
香港是全球房价最高的地方之一。超过22万人住在 ”笼屋”和“隔间”里，导致了焦虑和抑郁。At this critical juncture, what does the future hold for Hong Kong? Chief Executive-elect John Lee is up to the task.Regarded as a can-do person, he stressed a results-oriented work style during his election campaign in late April. 他为人踏实能干，在4月下旬的竞选活动中强调了以结果为导向的工作风格。Lee has the full confidence of the central government as well as the overwhelming support from the Election Committee. 李家超得到了中央政府的充分信任，以及选举委员会的压倒性支持。His government is likely to start construction of a million apartment units the moment they take office on July 1. Those units could accommodate up to 2.5 million people.在李家超7月1日上任当天，香港政府就会开始启动100万套公寓住宅的建造项目。这些住宅能够解决250万人的住房问题。There is also the issue of Hong Kong's slowing economy.The city is not the financial center it used to be. In 2018, its GDP was overtaken by Shenzhen, and then by Guangzhou two years later. 这座城市的金融中心地位已不同于以往。2018年，香港的GDP被深圳超越，两年后又被广州超越。Economic growth will be a high priority. To foster growth, the city can't allow division, bickering, confrontation and political paralysis – such as in the U.S. – to derail progress. 保持经济增长将是重中之重。为了促进增长，香港不要像美国那样，任由分裂、对抗和政治瘫痪破坏社会进步。For this purpose, John Lee is the right choice. Given his police force background, he's expected to further consolidate security, stability and peace, and create a safe environment for development.因此，李家超是最合适的人选。他是警察出身，预计他将进一步巩固香港的安全格局，保持城市的稳定与和谐，营造安全的发展环境。In 1997, Western media predicted an ominous future for the city. 1997年，西方媒体预言这座城市的未来会黯淡无光。But they were wrong. According to the Fraser Institute, Hong Kong has remained the world's freest economy over the past 25 years. In the global talent competitiveness ranking in 2021 by Swiss business school IMD, Hong Kong tops all Asian economies. The city is integrating with the Chinese economy ever closer through the Greater Bay Area which groups 11 cities centered on technology, innovation and high-end manufacturing. The region's GDP reached 12.6 trillion yuan last year, larger than that of South Korea.
但他们错了。根据弗雷泽研究所的报告，在过去25年里，香港一直是世界上最自由的经济体。在瑞士洛桑国际管理发展学院(IMD)近期发布的“全球人才竞争力指数”中，香港在所有亚洲经济体中排名第一。香港正以大湾区发展为契机，更加紧密地融入中国经济发展大局。粤港澳大湾区汇聚了11个以科技、创新和高端制造为核心的城市。去年，该地区的GDP达到12.6万亿元，比韩国的GDP还要高。As the country continues to grow, so will Hong Kong.