Chief Secretary for Administration Eric Chan said government policies to attract skilled workers were bearing fruit, with the number far exceeding the 35,000 annual target set by the chief executive. Chan said about 120,000 people had already moved here through different migration schemes.

The chief secretary was speaking in an interview with RTHK to mark the second anniversary of the current administration's term.

"In the past year or so, we've successfully attracted over 300,000 applications. If we include the applicants' family members, we estimate some 700,000 people will come to the SAR," he said.

"These are all talents. Frankly, they're voting with their feet, showing their confidence in Hong Kong. I believe this shows our outstanding advantages."

This week, the Swiss-based International Institute for Management Development said Hong Kong had risen to fifth in its competitiveness ranking with Chan saying this was proof that, in the eyes of the international community, the SAR was gradually moving forward.

Chan also said he thought people making cross-border leisure trips to Shenzhen was a form of patriotic education, especially for the young.

"We cannot hard sell patriotism. It must be a soft sell - through things like exhibitions, movies, music, interviews and visits - for young people to genuinely feel that the country's improved," he said.

"So many people go north of the border to consume nowadays. This is also a form of patriotic education, because once they go north to have a look, they can know more about the country and its improvements."

The chief secretary said, ultimately, patriotism needs to become "a mainstream core value".