Chief Secretary for Administration Eric Chan on Thursday said Hong Kong was a metropolis that embraced ethnic diversity, amid calls for more support for minorities.

Speaking at a ceremony unveiling the Diversity List, which honoured 21 people with an ethnic minority background for their contributions to the city, Chan said the government had enhanced support for minorities.

"The Chief Executive, in his Policy Address last year, expanded the government's support for our ethnic minority communities in education, employment, integration into the community and support services," he said.

"That includes setting up two additional support service centres. Eight ethnic minority care teams will begin service next month, with two others expected to be in place by year’s end."

Shalini Mahtani, the founder and the CEO of The Zubin Foundation, an NGO which aims to improve the lives of marginalised communities in the city, urged the government to include ethnic minorities in the campaign of "telling the good stories of Hong Kong".

"To ask the government to use multi-ethnic faces and stories to tell the Hong Kong stories. Because there are so many great stories in this community, and to use these faces and these stories both locally and internationally," she added.

The Diversity List, which was launched by The Zubin Foundation, featured 21 people from seven ethnic groups and across a wide range of expertise, such as financial services, legal services and education.

Hong Kong-born Saajandeep Singh, who was one of the honourees and an admitted solicitor in the SAR, called on the government to increase the number of ethnic minorities on its care teams.

"I think the government can always offer more support. They are doing great initiatives at the moment, but obviously they will need to provide more funding to ensure that these programmes continue and they are far-reaching, and they are not only in specific areas of Hong Kong, but they are district-wide," he added.

"I know that they have ethnic minority care teams nowadays, but I think they will need a greater number of people involved in these teams."