HONG KONG, Feb 24 (Reuters) - Hong Kong’s economy is expected to expand by 3.5% to 5.5% this year, compared with a 6.1% contraction in 2020, Financial Secretary Paul Chan said on Wednesday, as he announced his budget for the Asia financial hub. The Chinese-ruled city’s economy has been in a prolonged recession since 2019, when often-violent pro-democracy protests erupted, with last year’s coronavirus outbreak further curbing a wide range of economic activities. (Reporting by Hong Kong newsroom; Writing by Marius Zaharia; Editing by Kim Coghill)