Forging ahead together: LegCo's unwavering support for Hong Kong's First Five-Year Plan

Editor's note: Decision Makers is a global platform for decision makers to share their insights on events shaping today's world. Starry Lee Wai-king is the president of the Legislative Council of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China. The article reflects the author’s opinions and not necessarily those of CGTN.

Following a three-day debate in the Legislative Council (LegCo) last week, members passed a motion on the First Five-Year Plan for Economic and Social Development of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) (2026-2030), demonstrating LegCo's resolute support for the visionary blueprint for the betterment of Hong Kong.

Hong Kong's First Five-Year Plan marks a breakthrough in its governance. It sets out medium- to long-term development strategies to sharpen Hong Kong's core competitive advantages and seize the opportunities arising from the national 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-2030).

LegCo's wholehearted support for the HKSAR Government's visionary strategy

Under the executive-led system, LegCo has been committed to fulfilling its unique constitutional role by supporting and complementing the HKSAR Government in advancing the city's Five-Year Plan, ensuring its faithful and effective implementation to translate strategic blueprints into tangible achievements to foster high-quality development and improve people's livelihoods.

As an unprecedented move, a collaborative research and public opinion gathering mechanism was established between the HKSAR Government and LegCo. Early in drafting the plan, members' rigorous analyses and in-depth thematic studies were consolidated into a comprehensive and structured report submitted to Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu, who pointed out that the positive interactions between the executive authorities and the legislature forged strong support for the formulation of the Five-Year Plan.

During the three-day in-depth discussion of the plan, LegCo members also offered diverse views on various themes including advancing the "four centers and one hub," the centers being an international financial center, an international maritime (shipping) center and international aviation hub, an international trade center, and an international innovation and technology center; while the hub being an international hub for high-caliber talent. They also discussed leveraging Hong Kong's international advantages, expediting the development of the Northern Metropolis, deepening the development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and participating in high-quality cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative, enhancing social well-being in a tangible way, as well as adopting a holistic approach to development and security.

The fruitful discussion enables the plan to better reflect public expectations, address pressing social and economic issues more precisely, as well as outline clearer development directions and strategic priorities to make Hong Kong a more attractive, vibrant and opportunity-rich world city.

Riding on national development opportunities to drive Hong Kong's growth

With the major objectives clearly stipulated, the Five-Year Plan provides a substantive agenda for action, facilitating Hong Kong to leverage its distinctive advantages under the "one country, two systems" principle of enjoying strong support from the motherland and being closely connected to the world, as well as fully seizing the opportunities brought by national development. By accelerating the development of the Northern Metropolis and deepening connectivity with other cities in the Greater Bay Area, the plan aims to deliver tangible socio-economic benefits, inject new impetus into economic growth, enable the public to share the dividends of economic development and markedly enhance social well-being.

The Greater Bay Area serves as a strategic fulcrum of the country's new development paradigm with a vision of becoming an international first-class bay area with global influence. The Northern Metropolis is a flagship development project that serves as a main platform for Hong Kong to engage in the integrated development and enhance inter-connectivity within the Greater Bay Area. The Northern Metropolis also provides space for innovation and technology as well as emerging industries, increases land supply for housing, promotes a better home-job balance and green living, and fosters integrated development of education, technology and talent through three planned university towns.

The Five-Year Plan incorporates numerous recommendations from members, setting out policy initiatives and establishing cooperation platforms to enhance the connectivity of hardware infrastructure, deepen the alignment of rules and mechanisms in different aspects, as well as connect the hearts of residents of the Greater Bay Area cities through multi-faceted people-to-people exchanges.

LegCo is also diligently performing its constitutional duties by enacting laws and approving financial proposals in a timely and efficient manner to accelerate the development of the Northern Metropolis. In addition to approving funding proposals totaling at least HK$180 billion ($22.9 billion), members expedited the deliberation and scrutiny of the Northern Metropolis Development Bill over the past few months to remove barriers related to planning and lands administration procedures, speed up construction works and facilitate industry operations in the Northern Metropolis.

Continuous monitoring to ensure effective implementation of the Five-Year Plan

As pointed out by the chief executive, the implementation of the Five-Year Plan will be monitored, assessed and checked regularly, with mid-term adjustments to be made in light of actual socio-economic situations. It also establishes a framework where the "Five-Year Plan leads, policy address implements, budget supports, and the annual report gives account" to strengthen the institutional safeguards for effective implementation of the Five-Year Plan. 

The Five-Year Plan outlines six major development themes: strengthening the four centers and developing the hub for high-caliber talent; leveraging the city's advantages as an international city and comprehensively strengthening its global competitiveness; deepening the development of the Greater Bay Area and creating an international collaboration network; expediting the development of the Northern Metropolis and spearheading spatial layout optimization; enhancing social well-being and refining the social protection framework; and adopting a holistic approach to development and security, enhancing public governance efficacy. It also sets out 105 work indicators covering a wide range of policy areas.

However, despite this, the Five-Year Plan does not signify a shift towards a planned economy. On the contrary, by combining an "effective market" with a "capable government," it maps out the HKSAR's governance objectives for the next five years with clarity and certainty. It also provides clear policy priorities for the strategic planning of the business sector, thereby enhancing the confidence of the public and investors in Hong Kong's future.

Continuous monitoring by LegCo Members will be instrumental in ensuring that the plan is implemented and adjusted as necessary to respond to an evolving international geopolitical landscape. Upholding the principle of "supporting the government with unwavering commitment and performing a monitoring role without overreach," LegCo will continue to serve as a vital bridge between the government and the community. With a national perspective, a clear understanding of Hong Kong's circumstances and professional expertise, members will gather views from different sectors and convey them to the government through different platforms in LegCo.

The effective implementation of the Five-Year Plan will not only propel Hong Kong's long-term prosperity, but also empower the city to channel its unique strengths into building a strong nation for our motherland while driving the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. As an integral member of HKSAR's governing team, LegCo is fully committed to walking hand-in-hand with the government and the community, ensuring that this visionary blueprint blossoms into a vibrant reality for all.

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