Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu on Sunday called on Hong Kong student finalists in the upcoming national English speaking competition to tell the world the good stories about the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and "one country, two systems" with their eloquence and passion so that the city can shine brighter as the "Pearl of the Orient".

He made the call in a keynote speech at the awards ceremony of this year's "21st Century Cup" National English Speaking Competition (Hong Kong Region), organized by China Daily.

The competition, which drew a record of more than 1,000 participants from Hong Kong universities, as well as primary and secondary schools, picked 12 winners, who will represent the HKSAR in the National Grand Final in October this year, competing with their Chinese mainland peers from over 100 divisions. In 2019 and 2020, two Hong Kong contestants were crowned national champions in their respective categories.

Lee said the contest encourages young Hong Kong students to hone their skills in English proficiency and public speaking, and promotes youth exchanges between the SAR and the mainland. This will deepen their understanding of the country, its culture and remarkable progress.

He believes the successful contestants know fully well how to start a new chapter for Hong Kong, and hopes they will represent the city in the national grand final and spread the good stories about Hong Kong's unique advantages and achievements in the past 25 years. This will let the world learn more about Hong Kong, as well as the vigor and spirit of its young people.

Citing President Xi Jinping's deep care for Hong Kong youth in the president's speech in the SAR on July 1, Lee said his administration has been working hard to formulate a policy and development blueprint for young people in order to broaden their scope and upward mobility. The chief executive encouraged them to share their views on how to build a better future for Hong Kong through public consultations for his first Policy Address to be delivered in October.

In his welcome speech, Zhou Li, deputy editor-in-chief of China Daily Group and editor-in-chief of China Daily Hong Kong Edition, said that through in-depth thinking and rational expression, the contestants have demonstrated the sense of responsibility of young people in the new era in building a better home and striving for Hong Kong's brighter future.

"As the organizer of the competition, we look forward to seeing the competition play a positive role in promoting English education, especially in helping Hong Kong students improve their communication, expression and speech skills," he said.

Founded in 1996, the national competition aims to promote students' English-speaking skills and instill the spirit of innovation. The regional contest, organized by China Daily and VDO English - an online English learning platform established by China Daily - is now in its fifth year. So far, more than 260 schools and 2,000 students have participated in the regional contest.

Among the guests at the awards ceremony were Secretary for Education Choi Yuk-lin, Cui Feng from the Department of Youth Affairs of the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the HKSAR, business leaders and heads of local youth organizations.

The panel of judges comprised professionals from various institutions, including the Education Bureau, the English Speaking Union Hong Kong, the Hong Kong United Youth Association, the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts and the Hong Kong Toastmasters Club.