More than a connector: Hong Kong's active role as a strategic value-adder to national development

Editor's note: Decision Makers is a global platform for decision makers to share their insights on events shaping today's world. John Lee is the chief executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. The article reflects the author's opinions and not necessarily the views of CGTN.

The Recommendations of the Communist Party of China Central Committee for Formulating the 15th Five-Year Plan for National Economic and Social Development (2026-2030) supports the resolute implementation of "One Country, Two Systems," under which the people of Hong Kong administer Hong Kong with a high degree of autonomy. It supports our better integration into and contribution to the country's overall development.

The Recommendations supports the consolidation and enhancement of Hong Kong's status as an international financial, shipping, and trade center, and its development into an international innovation and technology center, as well as an international hub for high-caliber talent.

Under the "One Country, Two Systems" principle, Hong Kong is the only world city that converges both the China advantage and the global advantage. Hong Kong will leverage its unique advantages as a "super connector" and "super value-adder" to better integrate into and contribute to national development.

I would like to focus on the areas of finance, shipping, trade, innovation and technology, and talent development to highlight our work in dovetailing with the draft outline for the National 15th Five-Year Plan.

International financial center

Hong Kong had one of the world's best-performing stock markets in 2025, with its average daily turnover nearing 250 billion Hong Kong dollars (HKD) ($32 billion), up 90 percent compared to 2024.

Chinese mainland-related stocks make up some 80 percent of our stock market. At the end of 2025, the market capitalization of the mainland-related stocks in the Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing amounted to over 37,000 trillion HKD ($4,746 trillion), up 33 percent over the full-year figure of 2024.

We will continue to enhance our financial services sector to provide quality support to mainland companies looking to raise funds through our international platform, and to overseas capital seeking opportunities in the Chinese market.

We will enhance the competitiveness of the stock market and attract more high-quality companies – from Southeast Asia, the Middle East, the Global South and beyond – to list in Hong Kong. At the same time, we will diversify our financial offerings by accelerating the development of fixed income and currency markets, green finance, fintech and more, while pursuing new opportunities, including commodities trading and international gold trading.

We are committed to boosting the renminbi's role in global cross-border trade and investment. As the world's largest offshore renminbi service hub, Hong Kong will continue to support the prudent advancement of the currency's internationalization through enhancing offshore renminbi liquidity, improving relevant financial infrastructure, and expanding the range of investment products and risk management tools.

International shipping center

Hong Kong is one of the busiest ports in the world. It is a well-known "catch-up port" renowned for its fast customs clearance and high efficiency, which helps vessels make up for the time lost in delays at ports in other places. In addition, it is underpinned by a maritime service ecosystem with more than 1,200 companies. Hong Kong ranks fourth among the international shipping centers.

We are extending Hong Kong's cargo sources, promoting intermodal cargo transport from Chinese inland provinces and cities to international markets through Hong Kong via rail, sea, land and river.

We will establish "partner port" relationships with other regions of strategic collaboration significance, as well as the regions along the Belt and Road, and prepare for the development of a green shipping corridor.

International trade center

Amid mounting geopolitical tensions and the ever-changing global trade order, many mainland enterprises are shifting from concentrating on single markets toward tapping into emerging markets.

I established the GoGlobal Task Force in October 2025 to better support mainland enterprises in going global. It integrates Hong Kong's overseas offices, including those under InvestHK and the Trade Development Council, as well as Hong Kong offices on the mainland, to set up a one-stop platform to proactively attract mainland enterprises seeking to expand their overseas business to "go global via Hong Kong."

We also launched the Hong Kong Professional Services GoGlobal Platform in December 2025. The platform will serve as a hub that brings together Hong Kong's world-class professional services in such industries as legal services, accounting and finance, as the main force to support mainland enterprises wishing to expand overseas.

International innovation and technology center

The Hong Kong Park of the Hetao Shenzhen-Hong Kong Science and Technology Innovation Co-operation Zone officially opened in December 2025.

A major cooperation platform in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area under the National 14th Five-Year Plan, the Cooperation Zone leverages the advantages of "One Country, Two Systems" to develop into a world-class hub for technological innovation that connects the mainland with the international community.

The Hong Kong Park is being developed in batches under two phases. Out of the eight buildings in the first batch of Phase 1, two wet-laboratory-enabled buildings and a talent accommodation building have been completed, providing about 32,000 square meters of floor area and 100 apartment units.

Over 60 institutions and enterprises have already begun moving into the wet laboratory buildings, while the talent accommodation welcomed its first batch of tenants in December 2025.

We are accelerating the development of the Hong Kong Park. Construction of the foundation and superstructures for the remaining five buildings has commenced and will be completed progressively starting from 2027.

International hub for high-caliber talent

As our population continues to age, Hong Kong faces a declining labor force. Bringing in talent and labor on an appropriate scale helps ease manpower shortages and serves Hong Kong's overall interests. Since assuming office, I have enhanced our talent admission regime to attract more talent from the mainland and around the world to Hong Kong to provide fresh impetus to our economy.

The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government launched the enhanced talent admission regime at the end of 2022. As of December 31, 2025, we have received over 570,000 applications from around the world and approved nearly 400,000 of them. Around 260,000 talents have arrived in Hong Kong through our enhanced admission schemes.

Crucial to our enhanced regime is the newly introduced Top Talent Pass Scheme, which aims to attract talent with high income and those graduating from top universities around the world to Hong Kong. As of December 31, 2025, we have received over 150,000 applications under the Scheme and approved over 120,000 of them. Some 100,000 approved applicants under the Top Talent Pass Scheme have arrived in Hong Kong.

We are glad to have received an overwhelming response from mainland talents coming from the 23 mainland universities/institutions in our list of 200 top global institutions. They bring to our economy valuable experience from the mainland market and help the local workforce better integrate into national development by working alongside them.

Looking ahead, Hong Kong will continue to give full play to its unparalleled advantages under the "One Country, Two Systems" principle and integrate and contribute to national development. The HKSAR Government endeavors to break new ground in deepening reforms and lead the Hong Kong community in contributing to the advancement of national rejuvenation on all fronts through Chinese modernization.

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