Commissioner Liu Guangyuan contributed a piece to the South China Morning Post on 23 March 2022 titled "Hong Kong will beat Covid-19 fifth wave through solidarity and cooperation". The full text is as follows:

Hong Kong will beat Covid-19 fifth wave through solidarity and cooperation

A new wave of Covid-19 infections, caused by the Omicron variant, has been sweeping the globe since the start of 2022, and Hong Kong is in the thick of its battle with the virus. This fight is Hong Kong's overriding mission and a matter of deep concern for the central government and all mainland compatriots.

As Covid-19 caseloads reached new heights in Hong Kong, President Xi Jinping issued decisive instructions that the local government should prioritise quelling the contagion, mobilise all available resources and take all necessary measures to ensure people’s health, and the stability of society. It showed the way for Hong Kong to turn the tide and instilled confidence into the public.

“Life first” is the abiding tenet. Throughout the pandemic, China has put lives and livelihood above anything else. It has pulled out all the stops to protect people’s safety and health, exemplifying China’s people-centred approach to human rights.

Some have argued that a global metropolis should “live with the virus”, yet it is divorced from the reality of a densely populated city with high mobility and a serious ageing issue. Hong Kong cannot afford to “lie flat” or the runaway virus will surely spiral out of control, ruining people’s lives and grinding the city to a halt.

Survival is the fundamental human right. Professor Liang Wannian, head of the team of mainland health experts in Hong Kong, has stressed that reducing infections, severe cases and deaths is Hong Kong’s top priority at this stage, and that the best effort must be made to protect human life. Honouring the elderly and caring for the young is a traditional Chinese virtue, and it is exactly what Hong Kong, a highly responsible society, has been practising amid this pandemic.

“One country, two systems” is the city’s greatest strength. Whether it was the 1997 Asian financial crisis or the 2003 Sars outbreak, Hong Kong has had the strongest backing from the motherland. It is still the case this time. With Hong Kong reeling from the fifth wave, the central government once again responded swiftly to all its requests, including dispatching badly-needed medical staff and supplies.

Its assistance extends beyond that. The Tsing Yi makeshift hospital was up and running in about a week; cross-boundary railway cargo shipments were promptly launched to ensure a steady supply of goods to Hong Kong; and manpower in various areas that Hong Kong needed has arrived, with more on standby on the mainland to lend a hand. All of this reflects the care of the motherland and China’s institutional advantages.

At the same time, the central government firmly supports the Hong Kong government assuming primary responsibility and taking the lead in coordination. It encourages the local government to ramp up effective measures by putting into perspective its past experience, suggestions from diverse sectors and the situation on the ground.

The Hong Kong government is fighting all-out against the pandemic. With the central government and the mainland aiding on all fronts, and the strengths of one country, two systems playing a part, Hong Kong will claim victory at an early date.

Solidarity and cooperation are potent weapons. If the pandemic has taught us anything, it is that true love can withstand any disaster. In the face of the crisis, people from all walks of life have taken action.

Hong Kong business owners offered their hotels as quarantine units and property developers lent land for free to build isolation and medical facilities. Charities donated money and materials, social groups pitched in with personnel and resources, the Hong Kong Volunteers Federation mobilised nearly 10,000 volunteers and private organisations also contributed their share.

Doctors, nurses, porters and volunteers are working throughout the day and night against all odds. The younger generations are a crucial force among this group, with a large number born in the 1990s and 2000s. In Hong Kong, a strong, positive energy of fighting the virus together is building.

Hong Kong is home to many foreign nationals and institutions, so halting the fifth wave and resuming normalcy as soon as possible is in the best interests of all Hong Kong people, including international residents. It is also our shared duty.

We are all in the same boat and have a common destiny. Everyone in Hong Kong – regardless of community, ethnic group or nationality – is a shareholder in its prosperity and stability, and they should do their bit in this fight.

The central government and the Hong Kong government will go to great lengths to protect the health of Hong Kong people and foreign nationals while addressing their concerns. Foreign residents in Hong Kong should also understand, support and comply with anti-epidemic measures to safeguard their common home.

The pandemic will tell who works hard and who sits idly by and even adds insult to injury. Hong Kong has been through many trials and tribulations, but it has only emerged stronger with the support of the central government and various social sectors.

Hong Kong is moving into a period of stability and prosperity. After riding out the current wave, it will have greater development momentum, a stronger position as an international shipping, trade and financial centre and more win-win cooperation opportunities for the world. Its tomorrow will be brighter under one country, two systems.

I have the faith that as long as we pull together, the city we all love will pull through. When the pandemic fades, let’s go hiking on Taiping Mountain and enjoy the picturesque scenery of the “Pearl of the Orient” together.