Tang Yu-hin is a member of a group of Junior Police Call members who met with President Xi Jinping during the State leader's 2017 inspection visit to Hong Kong. (LI XIANG / CHINA DAILY)

Editors’ note: In Hong Kong’s past 25 years, the central government’s support has played an indispensable role in safeguarding its development. In the last decade, the special administrative region has also pulled at the heartstrings of President Xi Jinping. In this series report, we invited Hong Kong residents who have come into close contact with Xi to share their stories with the State leader in a first-person perspective, and also reveal Xi’s profound impact on Hong Kong’s latest developments.

During Xi’s inspection tour of Hong Kong in 2017, he called on the activity center of Junior Police Call and met with a group of young minds during his busy tour. It later led to a Lunar New Year greeting card for Xi, handmade by those youngsters. The president in reply wrote a letter to encourage them.

The kind words rippled in the young minds. Xi’s words to live by kept Tang Yu-hin, who was an 18-year-old student at the time, moving ahead. Tang set forth his journey to explore and understand the country whenever he can. Working in the Hong Kong government as a trainee surveyor, he also vowed to serve the community and the country by joining the auxiliary police in his spare time for self-fulfillment.

President Xi, in his reply to our New Year greeting card encouraged us to travel more and read more. His words got me off the ground to many places in the country, an important way to understand and know the country.

I have seen a satellite blast off in front of me at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northern China. I used to visit Beijing and woke up at 3 am for the national flag-raising ceremony in Tian’anmen Square. I was also amazed by the high adoption of technology in Hangzhou of Zhejiang province. I also went to places like Qingdao and Harbin on summer holidays since 2018.

President Xi came in with the charisma of a leader. I could instantly feel his amicability when he slowly gripped my hands with no squeezing, but firmly

All my journeys began from a meeting with Xi in 2017, when he visited the city for three days to mark the 20th anniversary of the city’s reunification with the motherland. I was able to have a closer look at the country’s top leader for about 20 minutes when I was tasked with briefing Xi on the newly built facilities of the activity center of Junior Police Call.

I was thrilled, yet nervous about it. He came in with the charisma of a leader. I could instantly feel his amicability when he slowly gripped my hands with no squeezing, but firmly. His charisma didn’t stop us from sharing what was on our minds. I felt heard during his short stay. I think he has what it takes to be a good leader — amicable with friendly smiles.

Even my relatives and family members wanted to shake my hand after they learned from TV that Xi gave me a firm handshake. They wanted me to share every details of the meeting on that evening.

Tang briefed President Xi Jinping on the newly-built facilities of the activity center of Junior Police Call on June 30, 2017. (PHOTO PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY)

To me, the thrill and Xi’s words have kept me going even now. I finished college and joined the Hong Kong government after graduation and now work in the Buildings Department as a trainee surveyor. I also joined the Auxiliary Undergraduate Scheme when I was a college student. This scheme was a set of training courses held by the Hong Kong Police Force, recruiting undergraduates as auxiliary police constables to serve the community. I have finished my training and have been an auxiliary police officer for three years.

Xi wanted us to carry on the lofty mission of taking Hong Kong forward and contributing to the nation’s development. I constantly reflect on his words. Being able to serve the city and the country by action, just as Xi had pictured for us, gives me a sense of self-fulfillment.