Around 30,000 people took to the streets in Hong Kong on Friday to celebrate the eighth anniversary of its reunification with the mainland.  

Looking to the future, recently appointed Chief Executive (CE) Donald Tsang promised an efficient and accountable decision-making and implementation process for the special administrative region.

Speaking at the official anniversary reception at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Center, Tsang proposed a toast to the country's success and Hong Kong's continued stability and prosperity. Hong Kong people's feelings toward the country have undergone a "striking change" over the past eight years, Tsang told the 1,200 guests.

"It's the distillation of the invaluable experiences gathered over eight momentous years. Never has the bond of flesh and blood, the interdependency between Hong Kong and the mainland been so real to us," he said.

Speaking about his meeting last week with President Hu Jintao in Beijing, where Premier Wen Jiabao administered him the oath of office, Tsang said the president had encouraged him to "upgrade governance" for the well-being of the people. "This is exactly what Hong Kong people ask for, and the path the HKSAR government has embarked on," he said, stressing that Hong Kong was on the threshold of a new start.

Tsang promised that his administration would ensure accountable and expedient decision-making. He also vowed to make policy implementation efficient.

In a three-hour parade from Happy Valley's Hong Kong Stadium to the Southern Playground in Wan Chai, thousands of colorfully dressed people, holding the national and HKSAR flags and chanting slogans for the region's harmony and prosperity, marched down the streets. En route they drew thousands of onlookers, many of whom joined the revelry.

Celebrations began at 8 AM in the Golden Bauhinia Square, with the national and HKSAR flags hoisted to the playing of the national anthem at a solemn ceremony, witnessed by nearly 1,000 guests. Four helicopters flew in formation over the venue and a fireboat sprayed water cannons as it passed by.

Tsang told the elite gathering that the community had reached a consensus that Hong Kong must continue to build on the support of the mainland and the edge it enjoys as a global business hub if it is to sustain economic growth.

"We all share the belief that by harnessing this advantage, and only by doing so, can we truly open the way forward for Hong Kong," he said.

Democratic Alliance for Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong (DAB) legislator Chan Kam-lam said: "I agree with his (Tsang's) saying that Hong Kong people are indeed patriotic and have experienced the support shown by the central government for the past eight years."