At the opening session of its annual plenary meeting on Wednesday, China’s top political advisory body pledged to prioritize the alignment of rules and mechanisms within the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, taking concrete actions to help the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions' deeper integration into national development.

The 14th National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference opened its fourth session at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Wednesday afternoon.

Wang Huning, chairman of the CPPCC National Committee, delivered a work report on behalf of the Standing Committee of the CPPCC National Committee at the opening meeting.

He said that 2026 marks the start of the national 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-30) period and called on members to offer advice on its implementation, contributing their wisdom on the nation’s path to modernization.

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Wang said that aligning the rules and mechanisms of the Greater Bay Area was a key focus of national political advisers’ consultations, when outlining CPPCC National Committee’s performance of its duties during 2025.

CPPCC National Committee members also promoted the ties between the two SARs and the Chinese mainland, as well as the two regions’ integration into national development through concrete actions, Wang said.

He said that in 2025, 66 Hong Kong and Macao CPPCC National Committee members delivered 107 sessions on the latest national development on local campuses, actively participated in inspections organized by the CPPCC National Committee, themed on Hong Kong and Macao’s roles in national development.

Hong Kong and Macao member also attended major national events, including the parade marking the 80th anniversary of victory in the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression (1931-45), Wang said.

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Kingsley Wong Kwok, a Hong Kong member of the CPPCC National Committee, said Wang’s work report — backed by detailed data — reaffirms the state’s emphasis on integrating Hong Kong SAR into national development and clarified the city’s future priorities.

Junius Ho Kwan-yiu, another national political adviser from Hong Kong, said that Hong Kong SAR should fully align with goals set at the 15th Five-Year Plan by leveraging its strengths in areas such as finance and gold trading, and by fully utilizing the nation’s related favorable policies.

He added that Hong Kong’s unique legal framework under “one country, two systems”, its internationalized business and investment environment, and its robust foreign-related legal services are all are all vital assets in serving national development.

Kou Kam-fai, a Macao member of the CPPCC National Committee, said after the opening session that he sees both responsibility and opportunity as the 15th Five-Year Plan period gets underway.

Kou, also a Macao lawmaker and the principal of Pui Ching Middle School, added that the push for rule alignment within the Greater Bay Area corresponds with the education issues he has long focused on.

Macao’s effort to develop an international university town in the Guangdong-Macao In-Depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin is a concrete step toward better regional rule alignment, he said, adding that Henqin can serve as a strategic “pivot”, enabling Macao’s quality education to reach across the entire Greater Bay Area.

Contact the writer at amberwu@chinadailyhk.com