The recent fourth plenary session of the 20th Communist Party of China Central Committee provided a clear and ambitious blueprint for China’s future, setting the stage for the forthcoming 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-30). This new chapter, focused on high-quality development, technological self-reliance through the cultivation of new quality productive forces, and high-level opening-up, presents a historic opportunity for Hong Kong. Under the principle of “one country, two systems”, Hong Kong is uniquely positioned not just to benefit from this national strategy, but to act as a vital engine driving its success. Hong Kong’s role is to perform a dual function: bringing in global capital, talent, and standards, while at the same time empowering Chinese mainland enterprises to go global with confidence.

Hong Kong’s unique advantages — its common law system, free flow of capital and information, and alignment with international business practices — make the city the indispensable bridge for this two-way flow. As the nation focuses on breakthroughs in areas like artificial intelligence, life sciences, and green technology, Hong Kong serves as the critical nexus where mainland innovation can connect with global markets and funding.

A superconnector in action

At the 8th China International Import Expo (CIIE) in Shanghai, led by Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu, we saw the immense potential for mainland enterprises to go global via Hong Kong. This was the first major event for the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region’s new GoGlobal Task Force, allowing us to directly engage with entrepreneurs and understand their needs. In subsequent matchmaking sessions, we held dialogues with businesses in advanced manufacturing, the digital economy, and biomedicine, advising them on financing and market expansion. We also visited key ministries to better align our professional services with their overseas blueprints.

Following this, the 28th Beijing-Hong Kong Economic Cooperation Symposium held in Hong Kong last week further deepened our collaboration. Invest Hong Kong signed a memorandum of understanding to help a leading mainland marketing technology enterprise and other mainland companies use our platform for international business. We also co-hosted the “Beijing-Hong Kong Youth Innovation and Entrepreneur Cup” with Beijing partners, creating a direct bridge for tech enterprises and young entrepreneurs. Our team shared Hong Kong’s solutions with innovators in fields like AI and FinTech to help them expand overseas.

From the CIIE in Shanghai to the Beijing-Hong Kong Symposium here, these actions have confirmed our vital role. We are not just guides; we are active partners in growth, helping mainland enterprises navigate their global expansion successfully.

The sheer energy and global confidence in Hong Kong were on full display at the recently concluded Hong Kong FinTech Week x StartmeupHK Festival. This joint 10th anniversary mega event attracted a record high of over 45,000 participants and 800 exhibitors from over 120 economies and featured over 1,000 distinguished speakers. This gathering of global financial leaders, central bankers, tech innovators, and venture capitalists was a powerful testament to Hong Kong’s international appeal and enduring vitality.

As the chief executive noted, Hong Kong is “made for collaboration, built for innovation”, serving as a “super value-adder” that helps startups go from local prototypes to global successes. The decision to merge our flagship FinTech Week with the StartmeupHK Festival for the first time celebrated a decade of innovation and highlighted our thriving ecosystem, which supports ventures at every stage of their growth.

Building the financial infrastructure of tomorrow

This momentum is backed by a clear, forward-looking vision. During the week, the Hong Kong Monetary Authority unveiled its “Fintech 2030’’ strategy. This ambitious plan, structured around the DART pillars — data, AI, resilience, and tokenization — is designed to create next-generation financial infrastructure. This is not an abstract goal; it involves concrete initiatives like enhancing the Commercial Data Interchange to facilitate small and medium-sized enterprise financing, developing a new AI strategy for the financial sector, and strengthening cybersecurity.

 I encourage everyone to participate actively by voting, ensuring that we have a legislature dedicated to steering our city toward a brighter future, in lockstep with our nation’s progress

Further cementing our role, we warmly welcomed the announcement that the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank will establish an office in Hong Kong. This move reinforces our status as a leading center for international finance and deepens our capacity to support major infrastructure projects across Asia and beyond, aligning perfectly with national goals like the Belt and Road Initiative.

These developments in finance and technology are deeply intertwined with the objectives of the 15th Five-Year Plan. By expanding our offshore renminbi hub, pioneering green finance, and building a regulated ecosystem for digital assets, Hong Kong directly supports the nation’s goals of financial opening-up and sustainable development. Hong Kong’s thriving innovation and technology sector, ranked first globally in the Shenzhen-Hong Kong-Guangzhou cluster, is critical for fostering the new quality productive forces that will drive the country’s next phase of growth.

The 15th Five-Year Plan offers a road map, and Hong Kong has a clear and indispensable role to play. InvestHK is committed to facilitating this synergy, connecting global ambitions with local opportunities. By leveraging the city’s unique advantages, Hong Kong will continue to serve the country’s needs while achieving its own prosperity, writing a brilliant new chapter for the “one country, two systems” principle.

To fully realize this potential, we must continue to build a stable and prosperous society. A constructive and effective government is paramount to maintaining investor confidence and ensuring long-term prosperity. The upcoming Legislative Council election on Dec 7 is a vital part of this process. It is an opportunity for us to fulfil our civic duty and elect capable leaders who will work diligently to advance Hong Kong’s economic development and improve people’s livelihoods. I encourage everyone to participate actively by voting, ensuring that we have a legislature dedicated to steering our city toward a brighter future, in lockstep with our nation’s progress.

The author is director-general of Investment Promotion, Invest Hong Kong.

The views do not necessarily reflect those of China Daily.