HONG KONG, Dec. 10 (Xinhua) -- Hong Kong has developed jointly with the motherland and shared the prosperity brought by the motherland's reform and opening up in the past four decades, speakers said at a seminar here on Monday.

The thematic seminar, part of a series of activities held in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) to celebrate China's 40th anniversary of reform and opening up, was attended by around 1,000 people, including government officials, scholars and businessmen from both the mainland and Hong Kong.

In her opening remarks at the seminar, Chief Executive of the HKSAR Carrie Lam said that Hong Kong has been actively participating in the development and modernization of the motherland during the past 40 years, bringing to the mainland investments, management experience, talent training, professional services as well as international connections.

As China is furthering reform and opening up in a comprehensive way in the future, Hong Kong should seize the new opportunities and better integrate itself into the motherland's development, Lam said, particularly mentioning the development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and the Belt and Road Initiative.

Wang Zhimin, director of the liaison office of the central government in the HKSAR, said in his opening remarks that Hong Kong, which has been in an unique position in the 40 years of reform and opening up and has made significant contribution to this historic process, has been developing and prospering jointly with the mainland.

The two policies -- reform and opening up and "one country, two systems" -- have been working together as a driving force for Hong Kong to prosper along with the motherland, he said.

As the reform and opening up is being pushed forward, there will be a greater room for Hong Kong to give play to its unique advantages, he said.

In one of the keynote speeches at the seminar, Cai Fang, vice president of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, elaborated the achievements and experience of China's reform and opening up and expressed confidence in the country's economic outlook as well as Hong Kong's long-term prosperity.

Victor Fung, chairman of Hong Kong-based consumer goods export trading giant Fung Group, said in his keynote speech that Hong Kong has contributed to the country and at the same time benefitted from the country's development, calling on Hong Kong companies to seize new opportunities and explore the global market together with companies from the mainland.