Political and professional experts have stressed the importance of formulating a comprehensive local five-year development blueprint to enhance Hong Kong’s alignment with the national 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-30) while preserving the city’s unique characteristics.

Their comments followed Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu’s pledge to lead the government in working “full speed” to formulate the historic blueprint, after the 15th Five-Year Plan was approved at the closing of the fourth session of the 14th National People’s Congress in Beijing on Thursday.

Lee said that Hong Kong’s own five-year plan — which will outline Hong Kong’s development vision, core objectives, key areas and major initiatives over the next five years — will have “greater comprehensiveness, higher precision and finer detail for key development areas”.

Lau Siu-kai, a senior adviser with the Chinese Association of Hong Kong and Macao Studies, described the initiative as a major breakthrough in Hong Kong’s governance model and an embodiment of the city’s executive-led system.

He said that while Hong Kong’s first five-year plan must chart the city’s development path for the next five years, its primary task is to align with and serve the national development strategies outlined in the central government’s 15th Five-Year Plan.

Lau said that the plan should establish a long-term development road map conducive to Hong Kong’s growth, industrial transformation, and livelihood improvements; propose concrete goals aligned with that road map alongside coordinated policies to achieve them; and present a blueprint for mobilizing and pooling resources from both government and society, including the allocation of public funds.

In addition to aligning with national strategies, Hong Kong must continuously explore and create new economic growth drivers, Lau said.

He also recommended that certain policies and projects within the five-year plan include quantifiable targets to facilitate accountability.

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Tam Yiu-chung, vice-chairman of the Chinese Association of Hong Kong and Macao Studies, said the plan, which he hopes can be completed by the middle of this year, may focus on the city’s two distinct advantages — finance and innovation technology — which are not only key demands from the central government but also areas where Hong Kong is well-positioned to excel.

“As highlighted in Lee’s statement, Hong Kong can strengthen its function as a global offshore renminbi business hub, support the national renminbi internationalization strategy, and consolidate its status as an international financial center through mechanisms like enhancing mutual market access programs,” Tam said.

On innovation and technology, Tam said that Hong Kong can leverage the Northern Metropolis development to promote industry-academia-research collaboration and commercialization, facilitating industrial upgrading —particularly in emerging fields like artificial intelligence.

Senior policy adviser and ophthalmologist Chow Pak-chin highlighted the central government’s expectations for Hong Kong’s medical sector and the pressing challenges it faces, stressing that the city’s healthcare system must enhance its sustainability.

Chow, a member of the Chief Executive’s Policy Expert Group, said the upcoming five-year plan should bear two core objectives: to preserve and strengthen Hong Kong’s own medical system, and to align with and contribute to broader national strategies.

Chow said that Hong Kong’s five-year plan must go beyond setting long-term goals. It should also establish annual milestones to ensure steady progress. He cautioned against simply replicating healthcare models from other regions, urging policymakers to develop solutions that are tailored to Hong Kong’s unique circumstances.

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Addressing the persistent issue of long waiting times in public hospitals, Chow said that Hong Kong operates under a dual-track public-private system. He argued that public healthcare should be reserved primarily for four key categories: “emergency cases, the underprivileged, severe illnesses, and training”.

To better divert medical demands, he called on the government to enhance public education and guidance, including combining government subsidies with medical insurance reimbursements.

Speaking of the chronic manpower shortages in the healthcare sector, he flagged the high cost and long time needed to train local doctors. He suggested strengthening training for practitioners of traditional Chinese medicine and relaxing regulations so that they can play greater roles in medical service.

He also advocated for more robust efforts to attract and retain overseas-trained doctors, including support for the working environment, housing, and family assistance.

Contact the writer at stacys@chinadailyhk.com