HONG KONG—Political and business leaders gathered in Hong Kong today for a high-level briefing on the recent Chinese Communist Party’s Central Committee Plenum, signaling a renewed commitment to integrate the city’s economic future directly into Beijing’s ambitious long-term strategic plan.
The government-hosted session, designed to disseminate the outcomes of the 20th Central Committee’s Fourth Plenary Session, focused heavily on the upcoming 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-2030), which participants described as vital for Hong Kong’s prosperity and stability. Attendees from diverse sectors expressed confidence that the plan would significantly benefit the semi-autonomous region.
The Pivotal Role of the 15th Five-Year Plan
Huang Yushan, Deputy Director of the HKSAR Basic Law Committee, underscored the plan’s critical importance, positioning it as the key transitional blueprint for achieving China’s comprehensive modernization goals by 2035.
“The 15th Five-Year Plan serves as the fundamental mechanism, building upon the 14th Plan, to ensure China attains a fully modernized socialist society by the target date,” Huang stated, emphasizing its bridging role in national development.
A core message highlighted during the presentation was the imperative for technological self-reliance, according to Eric Yeung, a National Committee member of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) and Chairman of the Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation.
Yeung noted the briefing’s stress on cultivating original, core technologies—a directive the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government is reportedly mirroring. “Attracting and retaining international technology talent is an absolute priority for Hong Kong moving forward, and we must increase collaboration with global academic institutions,” Yeung said, detailing the local application of the national strategy.
Integrating Hong Kong into the National Strategy
CPPCC members voiced excitement over the prospects for the city. Yong-Kee Yung, a CPPCC National Committee member, called the national framework a “magnificent blueprint” for the next five years.
Yung emphasized that the plan specifically calls for promoting Hong Kong’s long-term prosperity and stability, reaffirming its existing strengths and enhancing its role as an international financial hub. He believes that by leveraging its advantages to serve the country’s economic priorities, Hong Kong’s economy will receive a substantial boost.
Similarly, CPPCC member Susan Yang stressed that Hong Kong’s future success hinges on tight alignment with the 15th Five-Year Plan. This includes both shoring up traditional industries and decisively developing new sectors. The city is expected to capitalize on national drives to become a scientific, educational, maritime, and cultural power, providing extensive development scope for Hong Kong.
Navigating Geopolitical Complexity
Discussing the volatile international environment, leaders affirmed Hong Kong’s unique role as a conduit between the mainland and the global community.
Huang Yushan characterized Hong Kong as an outwardly focused city, uniquely positioned by its constitutional arrangement to be “backed by the motherland, connected to the world.” He insisted that regardless of future geopolitical shifts, Hong Kong must proactively sustain global ties, particularly through trade, academic, and economic exchanges with both Western and Southeast Asian nations.
Yung echoed this sentiment, suggesting that professional organizations, business associations, and academic bodies in Hong Kong should amplify their overseas outreach. He proposed hosting more international conferences and inviting foreign delegates to experience the situation in Hong Kong and mainland China firsthand. This effort, he argued, allows Hong Kong to serve a vital role in “people-to-people diplomacy,” effectively sharing the narratives of both the city and the nation.
The consistent message from the briefing is that Hong Kong’s trajectory is inextricably linked to the national development framework, with local leaders focused on ensuring the city maximizes its participation in the goals set forth by the new Five-Year Plan.
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