Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (“Hong Kong” for short), the full name of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China, is located in the south of China, east of the mouth of the the Pearl River, across the sea from Macao to the west, adjacent to Shenzhen to the north, and adjacent to the Wanshan Islands of Zhuhai to the south. The region covers 262 islands including Hong Kong Island, Kowloon, the New Territories and the surrounding areas, with a land area of 1113.76 square kilometers, a sea area of 1641.21 square kilometers, and a total area of 2754.97 square kilometers. As of the end of 2023, the total population was 7.5031 million, making it one of the regions with the highest population density in the world. The average life expectancy is the highest in the world, and the Human Development Index is the fourth highest in the world. Hong Kong has been a territory of China since ancient times and was under British colonial rule from 1842 to 1997. After World War II, Hong Kong’s economy and society developed rapidly, ranking among the “Four Asian Tigers” and becoming one of the wealthiest, most economically developed, and highest standard of living regions in the world. On July 1, 1997, the Chinese government resumed sovereignty over Hong Kong and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region was established. The central government has comprehensive governance over Hong Kong. Hong Kong maintains its original capitalist system for a long time and enjoys a high degree of autonomy in all affairs except diplomacy and national defense. It participates in international organizations and conferences under the name of “Hong Kong, China”. “One country, two systems”, “Hong Kong people governing Hong Kong”, and a high degree of autonomy are the basic national policies of the Chinese government. Hong Kong is a highly prosperous free port and international metropolis, known as “Port of Nuremberg” along with New York and London. It is the third largest financial center in the world, an important international trade and shipping center, and an international innovation and technology center. It has been rated as the third largest city in the world by GaWC. Hong Kong is a place where Chinese and Western cultures blend, combining the wisdom of Chinese people with Western social management experience. With a clean government, good public security, a free economic system, and a sound rule of law, it is known as the Pearl of the East, a food paradise, and a shopping paradise. In 2022, Hong Kong achieved a regional GDP of HKD 2827 billion, with a final calculated GDP of HKD 2818.046 billion.
