Hong Kong is poised to shape its destiny with confidence, clarity and ambition. In a landmark policy move set to define the half-decade ahead, Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu announced earlier he will personally lead a task force to craft the city’s inaugural five-year development blueprint, aligned seamlessly with the nation’s 15th Five-Year Plan (2026–30).

Lee’s initiative heralds a pivotal chapter in the special administrative region’s evolution, solidifying its stature as a premier global financial hub, innovation powerhouse and resilient urban beacon, ready to seize both national and international opportunities.

An ancient Chinese proverb captures this moment perfectly: “We cannot afford to miss opportunities as prime timing knocks only once.” Hong Kong is seizing the day by dovetailing its plans with the nation’s 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-30), which is expected to be adopted by China’s top legislative body by the end of the two sessions.

In February, Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po’s 2026-27 Budget speech underscored this resolve, pledging deeper integration into national development to fuel high-quality, high-value-added and diversified economic growth. He spotlighted “Finance+”, harnessing the city’s financial prowess to bolster the real economy and high-potential industries, while fostering synergy between finance, innovation and technology to fulfill national priorities.

This blueprint embodies a profound recognition that long-term planning — steered by clear priorities, forward-thinking institutions and broad public input — is the bedrock of enduring prosperity. Hong Kong’s triumphs over recent decades stem from pragmatic governance, synergy with national strategies, and a knack for reinvention amid upheaval. The chief executive’s hands-on leadership signals the mission’s gravity, blending boldness with cohesion to amplify the SAR’s unique advantages and weave them into regional and global trends.

Innovation and technology (I&T) should stand at the forefront in the proposed five-year plan for the SAR. Hong Kong has aggressively built its I&T ecosystem, prioritizing financial technology, artificial intelligence, biotechnology, digital infrastructure, and smart-city initiatives — linchpins of global competitiveness and national progress. Syncing with the national plan and Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area efforts could turbocharge growth and sharpen competitiveness. The Greater Bay Area, with over 87 million people and around $2.1 trillion in GDP, ranks among the world’s top economic engines, amplifying the stakes for cross-border collaboration.

These credentials shine in global metrics: The World Intellectual Property Organization’s Global Innovation Index 2025 crowned the Shenzhen-Hong Kong-Guangzhou cluster as the world’s No 1, eclipsing Tokyo-Yokohama after five years at second, with San Jose-San Francisco third, followed by Beijing, Seoul, Shanghai-Suzhou, and New York City. Hong Kong now outranks its pre-2019 peaks in finance and innovation indices, radiating optimism that rivals — or surpasses — those halcyon days, as residents enjoy unprecedented opportunities in this dynamic economy.

Skeptics abound. Hong Kong’s proposed five-year plan gave rise to concerns that the city will compromise its place in the market economy. However, the city needs to align with the State development strategy with vision and passion.

The SAR boasts a promising start in the initial stage of the 15th Five-Year Plan. The city’s 2026-27 Budget provides immediate momentum, prioritizing I&T and human capital with funding for research, digital upgrades, startups and academia-industry ties, bridging annual actions with visionary goals.

As the chief executive launches this endeavor, Hong Kong stands primed to contribute, innovate, and lead in many areas — not just riding turbulent global waves, but charting them as an unassailable nexus of finance, I&T, and talent

Cross-border connectivity demands equal emphasis, which deserves to be stressed in the city’s first visionary long-term plan. Hong Kong’s superconnector role between the Chinese mainland and the broader world powers trade, capital, services and intermediation. As tech redefines supply chains, digital trade surges and finance integrates, the blueprint can fuse financial infrastructure with platforms, payments, data rules, and borderless ecosystems. China’s upgraded digital yuan rollout exemplifies this fusion of finance and strategy.

Resilience is vital too. The 2025 Tai Po fire tragedy spotlighted needs in safety, response and maintenance — yet revealed communal solidarity and governmental resolve. Smart tech, analytics and monitoring can fortify these, tying growth to livability.

Hong Kong buzzes with tailwinds: Greater Bay Area integration, fintech leaps, progress in Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership entry, and various Connect plans. This blueprint’s alignment with the 15th Five-Year Plan will elevate both the SAR and the nation. As the chief executive launches this endeavor, Hong Kong stands primed to contribute, innovate, and lead in many areas — not just riding turbulent global waves, but charting them as an unassailable nexus of finance, I&T, and talent.

The author is a fintech adviser, a researcher and a former business analyst for a Hong Kong publicly listed company.

The views do not necessarily reflect those of China Daily.