In his speech, Wen expressed his great pleasure to join faculty members and students of HKU in the approach of the 6th anniversary of Hong Kong's return to the motherland.

HKU is a prestigious institution of higher learning with a long history, he said.

"Ninety-two years have passed since its official founding in 1911, but if we count from the inception of the College of Medicine in 1887, HKU is already 116 years old," he said.

Wen said that in the past century and more HKU has cultivated a contingent of talented people who have made important contributions to society. He especially mentioned that Dr. Sun Yat-sen, the great forerunner in the Chinese National Democratic Revolution, was among HKU's very first graduates.

"This is the paramount honor for the University," he said.

The premier said Dr. Sun devoted his entire life to the overthrow of the decadent feudal despotism at the time so as to turn a dark China into a bright one.

"Today, the Chinese who suffered so much in the past have not only stood up, but made impressive achievements in their modernization drive," he said.

"Our motherland has resumed the exercise of sovereignty over Hong Kong, thus opening a new page in Hong Kong's history," he added.

"How shall we define today's Hong Kong?" the premier said. "I want to answer this with three sentences. First, Hong Kong is China's Hong Kong; Second, Hong Kong is Hong Kong people's Hong Kong; And third, Hong Kong is a world-oriented Hong Kong."

About the first sentence, Wen said Hong Kong has been an inalienable part of the Chinese territory since ancient time.

He said that in the six years since the hand-over, "one country, two systems" has been translated from a mere conception into a living reality and has struck deep root in the Hong Kong society.

Hong Kong has made tremendous contributions to the reform, opening-up and modernization drive of the mainland, and the mainland's development in turn has provided a strong support base for Hong Kong's economic prosperity and social ability, he added.

"Indeed, Hong Kong and the motherland are closely linked together with a shared destiny," he stressed.

On the second sentence, the premier said facts have proved Hong Kong people are entirely capable of running the region well.

What forces have turned a small fishing village of a few thousand people into a modern city with millions of people? In the final analysis, it is the Chinese living in Hong Kong, he said.

He mentioned that Deng Xiaoping once said with deep emotion that Hong Kong people can administer Hong Kong well. The past prosperity of Hong Kong was mainly the result of the efforts of Hong Kong people, the overwhelming majority of which were Chinese.

"Today's Hong Kong has maintained her economic prosperity and social stability. Hong Kong's residents keep on living the way they have always lived," he said.

With the last sentence, Wen said a world-oriented Hong Kong is promised with a great future.

As the world's most open free port, Hong Kong is an important center of international finance, trade and shipping, and its status and role remained unchanged after returning to the motherland, he said.

"As long as Hong Kong makes a full use of these favorable conditions, takes the mainland as its support base, while looking to international markets and seizing all opportunities, it will surely add a new page of glory and splendor through redoubled efforts of development," he said.

The premier's sincere words won warm applauds from the audience. 　　

Wen arrived in Hong Kong on Sunday to attend anniversary celebrations for the return of Hong Kong to the motherland on July1, 1997.

(Xinhua News Agency July 1, 2003)