HONG KONG - Matthew Cheung, Chief Secretary for Administration of the government of China's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), said Sunday that the country is the strongest backing of Hong Kong and is where its confidence comes from.

In an online article, Cheung said the national five-year plan and the development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area will bring enormous opportunities to Hong Kong and create a solid foundation for it to move forward after the COVID-19 epidemic.

The 14th Five-Year Plan for national economic and social development supports Hong Kong in reinforcing its competitiveness, he said.

Cheung in particular said the plan encourages Hong Kong to develop into an international aviation hub, an international innovation and technology hub, a regional intellectual property trading hub, and an East-meets-West center for cultural exchanges.

As long as Hong Kong keeps the original aspiration of "one country, two systems," treasures and makes good use of its hard-won stable environment, and goes all-out to address problems concerning people's livelihood, it will seize the opportunities in national development and achieve new development, he said.