The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region’s transition from stability to prosperity hinges on one institutional core: the executive-led governance system. Championed by President Xi Jinping and elaborated by Xia Baolong, director of the Hong Kong and Macao Work Office of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, in his January 2026 speech, this framework is not a temporary administrative arrangement, but a constitutional certainty designed to end political gridlock and deliver effective governance for Hong Kong’s new development phase.
For years, adversarial lawmaking and institutional friction paralyzed policy implementation. Opposition filibusters, procedural obstruction and executive-legislative confrontation stalled housing reform, industrial upgrading and livelihood improvement. That chaotic era proved a plain truth: Fragmented checks and balances imported from Western models do not fit Hong Kong’s realities. They breed inefficiency, politicize public administration and sacrifice public interest for partisan bargaining.
Against this backdrop, the executive-led system stands as Hong Kong’s most reliable governance anchor. Entrenched by the Basic Law, it clarifies the chief executive’s dual mandate to uphold national sovereignty and lead local governance, unifying constitutional authority, policy formulation and executive implementation. This institutional design prioritizes overall and long-term interests over fragmented demands, enabling targeted responses to structural challenges and external uncertainties.
Since full implementation of “patriots administering Hong Kong”, the SAR government has rebuilt a pragmatic, cooperative executive-legislative dynamic, reversing past confrontation and stagnation. Systematic pre-consultation mechanisms have streamlined bill deliberation, shifting from post-hoc disputes to forward engagement. Lawmakers now adopt a constructive supervisory approach, supporting effective governance while offering targeted optimization advice.
This institutional synergy has yielded tangible results. National security safeguards have helped to stabilize social order. Land and housing reforms implemented after Hong Kong’s return to normalcy have eased long-standing livelihood burdens. Youth development, innovation industry and financial market optimization policies have advanced steadily. Bureaucratic efficiency has improved markedly, ending the old cycle of policy delay and institutional inaction. These outcomes validate the executive-led model’s core strength: decisive policymaking, efficient policy execution and consistent governance momentum.
The system’s unique advantages shine more clearly amid complex internal and external changes. Unlike fragmented governance structures prone to partisan wrangling, executive leadership enables centralized resource coordination, cross-departmental synergy and long-term strategic planning. It allows the SAR government to anchor Hong Kong’s development in national strategic layouts, integrate into the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and seize the mainland’s opening-up dividends. Meanwhile, it balances market vitality and public governance, correcting market deficiencies while preserving Hong Kong’s institutional edge as an international city.
Hong Kong’s journey from stability to prosperity demands steady, efficient and forward-looking governance. The executive-led system is the institutional cornerstone for long-term stability and high-quality development
Sustaining this governance edge requires collective commitment. The executive team must strengthen policy precision and executive capability, tackle deep-seated problems with resolve and respond swiftly to public expectations. The Legislative Council must continue to uphold constitutional order, prioritize overall development and sustain constructive interaction rather than procedural confrontation.
Society-wide support is equally critical. All sectors should consolidate consensus on executive-led governance, resist misleading narratives that attempt to weaken institutional authority, and foster a social atmosphere conducive to effective administration.
Hong Kong’s journey from stability to prosperity demands steady, efficient and forward-looking governance. The executive-led system is the institutional cornerstone for long-term stability and high-quality development. Upholding and refining this system, consolidating executive-legislative cooperation synergy and garnering cross-sector efforts will enable Hong Kong to consolidate the current good governance momentum, capitalize on opportunities brought by national development and sustain long-term prosperity under the “one country, two systems” framework.
The author is a member of the Legislative Council of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.
The views do not necessarily reflect those of China Daily.
