Chinese President Hu Jintao Saturday called for fostering a strong sense of national identity among the young people in Hong Kong.

"We should foster a strong sense of national identity among the young people in Hong Kong and promote exchanges between them and the young people of the mainland so that they will carry forward the Hong Kong people's great tradition of 'loving the motherland and loving Hong Kong," said Hu while toasting at a welcoming dinner hosted by the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region ( HKSAR) government.

Hu showed particular concern for the young people in Hong Kong, "because they represent the future of Hong Kong and, indeed, the future of China."

President Hu arrived here Friday to attend the celebrations marking the 10th anniversary of Hong Kong's return to the motherland and the swearing-in ceremony of the third-term HKSAR government.

Source: Xinhua