John Lee: The compilation of the "Hong Kong Five-Year Plan" will be completed within this year.

The Fourth Session of the 14th National People’s Congress today approved the “Outline of the 15-Year Plan for National Economic and Social Development of the People’s Republic of China.” Chief Executive John Lee expressed heartfelt gratitude for the central government’s support in multiple key areas to help Hong Kong consolidate and enhance its competitive advantages and better integrate into and serve the overall development of the country.

John Lee stated on social media that he sincerely appreciates the firm support and care from the country for Hong Kong, as outlined in the 15-Year Plan, which includes measures to promote long-term prosperity and stability in Hong Kong and deepen the development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. He will lead the SAR government to effectively fulfill its primary responsibilities, unite all sectors of society, actively cooperate with and connect to the country’s 15-Year Plan. The government will build a systematic policy framework, make more comprehensive, precise, and detailed strategic arrangements for key development areas, and formulate Hong Kong’s first macro, strategic, and forward-looking “Hong Kong 5-Year Plan.” The preparatory teams established earlier by various policy bureaus under his instructions have now been transformed into the “Hong Kong 5-Year Plan Drafting Team,” which will work at full speed to complete the plan within this year.

He stated that the “Hong Kong 5-Year Plan” will bring the most direct benefits to Hong Kong, supported by the strong backing of national development. As the world’s second-largest economy, China’s comprehensive strength provides Hong Kong with vast market momentum and development opportunities. The country’s advancements in innovation technology, artificial intelligence, big data, and infrastructure construction have positioned it as a global leader, enabling Hong Kong to leverage the country’s industrial ecosystem and development to achieve leapfrog growth in emerging industries.

For example, in the financial sector, Hong Kong can rely on the country’s strategy to promote the internationalization of the Renminbi, strengthening its role as a global offshore Renminbi hub and consolidating and enhancing its status as an international financial center through optimized connectivity. In the innovation and technology sector, Hong Kong can accelerate industry-university-research collaboration through the development of the Northern Metropolis. In industrial upgrading, Hong Kong can integrate into national strategies like “Artificial Intelligence+” to empower its traditional advantageous industries and strengthen its development in the new wave of technological revolution and industrial transformation, creating new productivity.

John Lee said that to ensure the smooth progress of the drafting work, he will lead the effort, with the Commerce and Development Bureau taking primary responsibility, and all bureaus actively promoting and participating. He firmly believes that as long as everyone works together with concerted effort, the first “Hong Kong 5-Year Plan” will serve as a guiding action to lead Hong Kong into a new chapter and achieve new breakthroughs, laying a more solid foundation for long-term prosperity and stability. In the process of integrating into and serving the country’s development, Hong Kong will demonstrate new responsibilities and new achievements.