The Hong Kong Coalition was founded at the height of the 2019-20 insurrection and the COVID-19 pandemic. On top of that, the city was suffering from a drastic economic downturn and record-high unemployment.
Under the joint leadership of Tung Chee-hwa and Leung Chun-ying, both vice-chairmen of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference National Committee, the coalition brought together 1,500 key players from 10 major sectors — politics, business, academia, culture, religion, professional fields, labor, youth, social organizations, and district groups — to form a united front aimed at saving Hong Kong. Its mission — to unite people from different walks of life, build a social consensus, uphold the “one country, two systems” framework, and work toward a stable and prosperous Hong Kong Special Administrative Region — remains unchanged. The coalition has contributed significantly to restoring social stability and prosperity in the city. Its achievements include assisting graduates with finding employment, donating masks and medical supplies to those in need during the COVID-19 pandemic and promoting cross-border collaboration.
On May 20, the coalition commemorated its fifth anniversary by hosting a forum titled Promoting Integrated Development of Education, Technology, and Talent at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. The event was attended by Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu, Zheng Yanxiong, director of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the HKSAR, and over 400 senior leaders and officials from the HKSAR government and institutions.
Leung, chief convenor of the coalition, recounted the group’s establishment and highlighted its achievements. He said that over the past five years, the coalition has conducted field research both domestically and internationally, deepened exchanges and cooperation, and organized forums and symposiums to contribute to Hong Kong’s economic and social development. Leung emphasized that the coalition will continue to uphold the “one country, two systems” principle, leverage Hong Kong’s unique advantages, support the country’s comprehensive opening-up, and contribute to Hong Kong’s transition from governance to prosperity.
Lee acknowledged the coalition’s pivotal role during Hong Kong’s most trying times. He stressed the need to seize opportunities amid global uncertainties, leverage Hong Kong’s advantages as an international hub, and deepen ties with the Chinese mainland to drive high-quality development.
Zheng commended the coalition as a beacon of patriotic forces. He underscored Hong Kong’s safety and resilience under the “one country, two systems” principle, and said he hopes that the coalition will continue to embody perseverance, push forward reforms and innovation, foster consensus among different sectors, and contribute to Hong Kong’s stability and prosperity.
In the major panel discussion chaired by Leung, key highlights included advocating for education reforms to support talent development with technology; stressing innovation and talent attraction to sustain Hong Kong’s tech ecosystem; urging deeper cross-boundary collaboration in technology and industry; calling for cross-sector partnerships to address talent mismatches; and proposing to foster entrepreneurship among talented academics by leveraging mainland expertise.
Perhaps the most important aspect is the coalition’s current research and commitment to taking an active part in proposing Hong Kong’s positioning and development strategy for the nation’s 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-30). This is crucial for the HKSAR’s integration into national development, reinforcing its status as an international hub, and contributing to China’s modernization goals.
President Xi Jinping recently stressed the importance of the 15th Five-Year Plan, emphasizing that decision-making should be sound, democratic, and law-based to ensure its high-quality formulation. He highlighted the need for integrating top-level design with public input, enhancing research and discussions, and building broad consensus.
Currently, the Communist Party of China Central Committee is organizing draft proposals for this plan, and relevant departments are preparing to solicit opinions and suggestions from officials, the general public, experts and scholars. The coalition, whose members are drawn from all major sectors of society, should seriously engage in deliberations to develop sound proposals for the 15th Five-Year Plan.
The HKSAR government has extensive experience canvassing public opinion, as seen in the chief executive’s policy speeches and the financial secretary’s budget speeches. There is no reason why the HKSAR government should not conduct a similar public consultation exercise for the 15th Five-Year Plan, which would also serve as an ideal public education initiative. The public should recognize that the formulation and implementation of the 15th Five-Year Plan, which will commence in 2026, holds immense significance for advancing Chinese modernization, thus greatly impacting Hong Kong’s future economic and social development.
The author is a retired deputy commissioner of Hong Kong’s Independent Commission Against Corruption and an international anti-corruption consultant.
The views do not necessarily reflect those of China Daily.
