This week will see the close of the two-month-long consultation period for the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government’s first five-year plan. The consultation has been extensive, and has included town hall meetings, phone-in programs, and thousands of written submissions. Hong Kong residents are no longer apolitical but now have a genuine desire to be involved in the policymaking process.
Foreign interference in Hong Kong’s political system from 2014 onward to the bloody riots in 2019-20 became a wake-up call for all Hong Kong residents to take ownership of their own destiny. The time has come for them to actively participate in the policymaking process.
The Chinese mainland has implemented a series of five-year plans for the country’s development over the past several decades. This has proved successful, and now the HKSAR is following suit. The city’s five-year plan will be all-embracing, covering areas such as the economy, industries, spatial planning, infrastructure, green transformation, as well as livelihood aspects including healthcare, education, housing, welfare, and elderly care, providing clear directions for the city’s economic and social development in the coming five years to create a vision for the future that residents can look forward to.
The five-year plan aims to strengthen Hong Kong’s core sectors while accelerating projects such as an international aviation hub, a talent hub, and the Northern Metropolis development. It is strategic, forward-looking, and operable, with the purpose of strengthening Hong Kong’s position as an international financial, maritime, and trade center, as well as an innovation and technology hub.
The Northern Metropolis project is the five-year plan’s lynchpin, a massive land bank equal to one-third of Hong Kong’s total land area. It will feature a new university town, hospital, 70,000 housing flats, and 1 million square meters of floor space for economic activities (in the early phase). Situated along the Shenzhen River, it will be further testament to Hong Kong’s commitment to the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. Already signs of the development can be seen from the San Tin Highway approaching Sheung Shui, Hong Kong’s northernmost district. In five years, the development will be operational, drawing in the first batch of the projected 2.5 million new residents. And what’s left over will be included in the second five-year plan to be formulated in 2031, which, after five years, will provide some 650,000 jobs.
The enthusiasm demonstrated by both organizations and individuals in the public consultation process is impressive, indicative of strong aspiration for and commitment to building a better Hong Kong
All augurs well for Hong Kong as the first five-year plan should fit snugly in the national 15th five-year plan (2026-30), which has an emphasis on the development of the Greater Bay Area. As the HKSAR government emphasizes, the city’s integration with the Greater Bay Area will be crucial for its future development, which will be a key driver of the city’s growth.
It is obvious from the town hall meetings that the Northern Metropolis will play a major role in Hong Kong’s future, with small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) calling for a stake in the 30,000-hectare megaproject, rather than being pushed out by tech giants and major conglomerates. The HKSAR’s chief executive, John Lee Ka-chiu, promised that SMEs will have a place in the development of the Northern Metropolis, and that the government will support their transformation amid technological advances.
Since the consultation launched in June, the government has held more than 80 in-person and online sessions to gather feedback from various sectors of Hong Kong society. With less than one week to go before the consultation period ends, the government has already received more than 8,000 submissions regarding the five-year plan, with nearly half focusing on livelihood issues. Many of the submissions came from institutions, such as chambers of commerce and professional organizations. Still, it was surprising to find the large number of individuals who have taken the time to read the consultation document and comment on how they envisage the future of Hong Kong.
The government has gone all-out to achieve the best possible results from the consultation exercise. Media reports indicate all department heads have attended the town hall sessions, which serve multiple purposes. Besides providing suggestions for the first five-year plan, the information gathered could also provide fodder for the chief executive’s annual Policy Address and for the financial secretary’s annual budget planning.
The enthusiasm demonstrated by both organizations and individuals in the public consultation process is impressive, indicative of strong aspiration for and commitment to building a better Hong Kong.
The author is a former chief information officer of the Hong Kong government, a PR and media consultant, and veteran journalist.
The views do not necessarily reflect those of China Daily.