This year is vital for Hong Kong as it enters a new era of five-year planning amid the kickoff of the country’s 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-30).
During the two sessions, Vice-Premier Ding Xuexiang outlined a clear direction for Hong Kong’s future development and presented “five expectations” when he met with national political advisers and National People’s Congress deputies from the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. These expectations of the central government serve as a road map for the city to achieve steady progress and long-term prosperity in its new journey.
The five expectations aim to guide Hong Kong to find its strategic positioning, leverage its strengths, improve governance, focus on development, and foster unity. Currently, as the world undergoes profound changes not seen in a century and China embarks on a new journey of building a modern socialist country, Hong Kong finds itself at a critical juncture in its transition from stability to prosperity. Against this backdrop, these five expectations provide an invaluable framework for Hong Kong’s development.
Aligning with the 15th Five-Year Plan is a matter of paramount importance for Hong Kong’s development as it provides Hong Kong with vast opportunities for growth. The National Development Planning Law, which establishes a legal framework for the country’s long-term development, institutionalizing and codifying the planning process, includes provisions that explicitly support the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions in proactively aligning with the national development plan and integrating into and serving the country’s overall development strategy. This not only reflects the central government’s unwavering commitment to maintaining the SARs’ prosperity but also assigns them a new mission: Not only to integrate into the national development strategy but also to actively contribute to it. The HKSAR government’s initiative to formulate its first-ever five-year development plan signifies a shift from passive adaptation to proactive alignment.
Hong Kong is at a critical juncture in its transformation and upgrading, and the challenge for the city is like sailing up a river — it either forges ahead or drifts downstream
Upholding and refining the executive-led system, which is rooted in the constitutional design defined by the Basic Law and serves as the foundation for the smooth implementation of the “one country, two systems” principle, is the institutional cornerstone for achieving good governance in Hong Kong. Ding emphasized that the executive-led system is a “shared responsibility and task” for the HKSAR’s executive, legislative and judicial branches, as well as all quarters of society. This underscores the nature of the executive-led system, which involves the chief executive at its core, guiding all sectors to operate collaboratively within the constitutional framework to safeguard the interests of both the SAR and the country as a whole. Looking back at Hong Kong’s journey since its return to the motherland, particularly its recent efforts to overcome various risks and challenges, the executive-led system has demonstrated its powerful decision-making and execution capabilities. It has been a key factor in restoring order and getting the city back on track. The Legislative Council has been entrusted with great responsibilities. Lawmakers should pursue closer and more constructive interactions with the administration, fully support and oversee the government’s efforts to innovate its governance approach, respond proactively to changes, and help to strengthen strategic planning to jointly enhance governance efficiency.
Promoting high-quality economic development is necessarily the right path to address Hong Kong’s deep-seated challenges. While the city maintains its traditional advantages, it faces increasing competition. Ding’s call to promote high-quality economic development highlights that Hong Kong must not rest on its laurels. Instead, it must enhance its status as an international financial, shipping, and trade center while accelerating the cultivation of new growth drivers such as innovation and technology and advanced industrialization. The 2026-27 Budget reflects this shift in focus, with initiatives ranging from “AI+” and “Finance+” to the development of the Northern Metropolis and the establishment of the I&T Industry-Oriented Fund. These efforts are steering Hong Kong toward a new trajectory of high-quality development. Only by continuously enhancing economic resilience and competitiveness can Hong Kong maintain its foothold on the shifting global economic landscape.
Consolidating the “patriots administering Hong Kong” social foundation is an essential requirement for maintaining Hong Kong’s long-term prosperity and stability. The implementation of national security laws and the improvement of the electoral system have brought Hong Kong’s social order back on track. However, safeguarding national security is an ongoing effort, not a completed task. This requires a systematic approach to patriotic education to instill core values and cultivate a strong sense of national identity, guiding residents to correctly understand the blood ties between the Chinese mainland and the SAR while fostering a deep sense of patriotism. It also calls for local organizations to continue leveraging their grassroots presence and role as a bridge connecting various sectors of society. At the same time, it is crucial for LegCo members to effectively fulfill their responsibilities of reflecting public opinion and monitoring government policy execution. Legislators must translate the pressing concerns and urgent needs of residents into constructive suggestions that support scientific decision-making by the government, promoting good governance and sound administration.
Hong Kong is at a critical juncture in its transformation and upgrading, and the challenge for the city is like sailing up a river — it either forges ahead or drifts downstream.
The author is a member of the Legislative Council and the UN Association of China.
The views do not necessarily reflect those of China Daily.
