Unveiled at a critical juncture of the opening year of the national 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-30), the First Five-Year Plan for Economic and Social Development of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region holds profound significance. It sets out a forward-looking blueprint for the HKSAR to proactively align with national development strategies, positioning the city to better integrate into and support overall national development.
Under the “one country, two systems” principle, Hong Kong has the distinctive advantages of enjoying strong support from the motherland and being closely connected to the world. As the HKSAR’s first overarching strategic plan, it upholds a dual approach of an “effective market” with a “capable government”. It outlines medium- to long-term development strategies to reinforce Hong Kong’s core competitive advantages, including a free-market economy, global connectivity, the rule of law, a robust legal system, a clean and efficient government, as well as a safe and stable society.
Reaffirming the chief executive’s emphasis, the city’s five-year plan does not signal a planned economy. Rather, in synergy with the Policy Address presented on the same day, the plan maps out the HKSAR’s governance objectives with clarity, certainty and policy continuity. Representatives of foreign business chambers in Hong Kong expressed support for the plan, as it provided clear policy priorities for the strategic planning of businesses, thereby enhancing confidence of the public and global investors in Hong Kong’s future.
Under the executive-led system of the HKSAR, the Legislative Council plays a unique constitutional role in helping translate the government’s strategic blueprint into tangible policy outcomes. In the five-year plan, the chief executive sets out five major objectives: achieving new breakthroughs in economic development; continuously expanding Hong Kong’s global competitiveness and influence; accelerating the development of the Northern Metropolis; markedly enhancing social well-being; and making significant strides in integrating into and serving overall national development. While the government establishes these overarching goals, LegCo is responsible for gauging opinions across sectors and ensuring that the plan is faithfully implemented to meet public expectations. A constructive executive-legislative relationship is pivotal to achieving these goals.
Many initiatives under the five-year plan, which promote innovation and reform for the betterment of Hong Kong, will require new legislation, amendments to existing laws and funding support from LegCo.
The Northern Metropolis development project is one of the focal points of the five-year plan. With abundant land resources in the northern part of the city and its proximity to Shenzhen’s metropolitan core, the Northern Metropolis will become a new engine for Hong Kong’s long-term economic growth, particularly in innovation and technology, tertiary education, and logistics. It will also become one of the main sources of future land supply for housing, eventually accommodating about 2.5 million residents and providing about 650,000 jobs. LegCo members’ effective deliberation and scrutiny are instrumental to ensure that this visionary development project is well planned and efficiently implemented, while addressing the needs and concerns of the public and relevant stakeholders.
To date, LegCo has approved funding proposals amounting to at least HK$180 billion ($22.94 billion) to support the development of the Northern Metropolis. I have led members on three site visits to various zones of the Northern Metropolis to keep abreast of the development progress. The Northern Metropolis Development Bill — a dedicated piece of legislation designed to remove barriers related to planning and lands procedures in the Northern Metropolis, expedite construction works and facilitate industrial operations therein — was introduced into LegCo on July 8. Members wasted no time in commencing the legislative procedures, and the relevant Bills Committee held meetings throughout the summer months to scrutinize the bill, clause by clause. Both LegCo and the government are determined to accelerate the development of the Northern Metropolis, aiming to inject a new impetus into Hong Kong’s economy and make our city more livable.
In addition, the formulation of the five-year plan marks a breakthrough in the governance of the HKSAR. While LegCo serves as a vital bridge between the government and the community, members bring together a broad range of views from the public and convey them directly to the chief executive and government officials, and also explain policy objectives to the community. During the consultation and formulation phases, LegCo took the groundbreaking initiative of establishing a collaborative research and public opinion-gathering mechanism with the government. All members were mobilized to form six working groups to conduct in-depth thematic studies and canvass views from different sectors, culminating in a report submitted for the chief executive’s consideration. This close collaboration between the two branches helped refine the five-year plan, enabling it to better address the pressing and difficult issues in society.
The five-year plan outlines policy targets under six main themes and sets out a total of 105 work indicators covering a wide range of domains. As representatives of public opinion, LegCo members have a responsibility to monitor the plan’s implementation and ensure that the government delivers measurable progress in the years ahead. On the day following the delivery of the five-year plan and the 2026 Policy Address, the chief executive attended the interactive exchange question-and-answer session to address questions raised by members, engaging in in-depth exchanges.
The successful implementation of the five-year plan requires concerted efforts from the government, LegCo, and various sectors of society. LegCo will continue to uphold the principle of “supporting the government with unwavering commitment and performing a monitoring role without overreach”. On Wednesday, LegCo will begin a three-day motion debate, enabling members to fully express their views and offer advice on the implementation of the plan. As president of LegCo, I am confident that all members will discharge their duties with a “people-oriented” ethos to reflect public views faithfully through different platforms of LegCo. By working together, I am certain that the five-year plan will drive Hong Kong’s high-quality development and continuous improvement of people’s livelihoods, as well as creating abundant opportunities for the people, particularly our younger generation. The HKSAR will also give full play to its unique strengths and contribute to building a strong country and achieving national rejuvenation through the advancement of Chinese modernization.
The author is president of the Legislative Council of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.
The views do not necessarily reflect those of China Daily.
