Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor speaks at the reception in celebration of the 22nd anniversary of the establishment of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Center on July 1, 2019. [Photo by ROY LIU/CHINA DAILY]

Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor on Monday vowed to double the government's efforts to get the city off to a new start.

Lam made the remarks at a reception to celebrate the 22nd anniversary of Hong Kong's return to the motherland and the establishment of the HKSAR.

Every year, July 1 is an opportunity to look back on the past and look forward to a new year ahead for the SAR, she said.

"Serving over 7 million people in Hong Kong, we also have much to do in the future to improve people's livelihoods," said Lam.

That requires Hong Kong society to make plans together and work in concert, Lam said.

She also took note of the problems the city is currently facing, including the unstable external environment and the unsolved trade conflicts between China and the United States.