All policy bureaus of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government will work to proactively align with the nation’s 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-30), Hong Kong’s mainland affairs chief told the city’s lawmakers on Wednesday.

Replying to legislator Johnny Ng Kit-chong’s inquiry during Wednesday’s Legislative Council meeting, Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Erick Tsang Kwok-wai also said the Steering Group on Integration into National Development, led by Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu, will provide high-level and comprehensive guidance, coordination, and oversight to ensure effective implementation of the work.

“The 15th Five-Year Plan and the ‘one country, two systems’ principle present boundless opportunities for Hong Kong's future development, particularly for young people and small and medium-sized enterprises, which should prioritize seizing these growth prospects,” Tsang said.

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Authorities will promote the national blueprint’s specific content through channels such as seminars and lectures to explain how the city will align with it and advance national development, he added.

Tsang said that for Hong Kong to optimize regional economic momentum, the city must deeply engage in the development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area while strengthening collaborative ties with other Chinese mainland regions to achieve mutual benefits and shared success.

“Hong Kong is playing an increasingly important role in national plans. We should become not only a beneficiary of national development but also a contributor and facilitator,” he said.

LegCo also debated a motion by legislator Erik Yim Kong that urged the HKSAR government to formulate a development vision for Hong Kong that dovetails with the national plan.

Yim said that a unified master plan is needed to break down interdepartmental barriers and enable effective collaboration.

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Ng, who proposed an amendment to Yim’s motion, said the government should actively develop Web3 and digital asset industries in addition to artificial intelligence, and strengthen the integration of digital asset technology with the real economy.

Building a talent hub for innovators with a people-centered approach is essential, Ng said. Optimizing talent import policies — especially in fields like AI, chip design, digital assets, and aerospace — by providing more competitive visa, tax, and research support, while also nurturing local youth through STEAM education and industry-academia-research collaboration, is also crucial, he added.

Lawmaker Lam Chun-sing said the government should import talent for high-demand, extremely scarce professions identified in manpower projections, to ensure imported talent accurately meets industry needs.

“When processing extension applications, follow-up work could also track whether individuals are engaged in related work,” Lam said. “If significant discrepancies are found, or if there is a mismatch with the job market, the approval thresholds and support measures should be adjusted accordingly.”

Contact the writer at stacyshi@chinadailyhk.com