On April 16, Chief Secretary Eric Chan Kwok-ki, Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po and Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Secretary Janice Tse Siu-wa traveled to Beijing to meet with the State Council’s Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office. The subject was Hong Kong’s first five-year plan.
For decades, Hong Kong thrived on nimbleness, market instincts and the freedom to improvise. But the challenges ahead — an aging population, accelerating technological change, and expanding opportunities in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area — demand a more structured approach. Drafting a plan aligned with the national 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-30), approved by the National People’s Congress in March, does not mean abandoning what made the city successful. It reflects recognition that the next chapter requires a different discipline.
Nowhere is this more visible than in the Northern Metropolis, the 300-square-kilometer area stretching from Deep Bay in the west to Mirs Bay in the east. First unveiled by then-chief executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor in October 2021, the strategy represents Hong Kong’s most ambitious attempt to rebalance its geography, pulling economic gravity northward toward Shenzhen and the productive engine of the Pearl River Delta.
The 2023 Policy Address provided sharper details, firmer timelines, and clearer functional roles. It outlined an Action Agenda dividing the Northern Metropolis into four zones: Hung Shui Kiu and Ha Tsuen, for high-end professional services and logistics; the San Tin Technopole, for innovation and technology; a boundary belt focused on commerce and industry; and a blue-green corridor around Deep Bay integrating conservation, tourism, and recreation.
The scale is transformative. Over roughly 20 years, the area is expected to house 2.5 million residents and generate 650,000 jobs, reshaping Hong Kong’s economic and demographic landscape. If delivered consistently, the plan could expand housing supply, deepen innovation capacity, and open new growth engines beyond the traditional core.
Aligning with national priorities
What makes the Northern Metropolis especially relevant is how its components align with national priorities. The 15th Five-Year Plan emphasizes technological capability and advanced manufacturing as central to the country’s development. The San Tin Technopole is designed to anchor that strategy, sitting alongside the Shenzhen-Hong Kong Science and Technology Innovation Co-operation Zone in Hetao to form a single research cluster.
On the Shenzhen side, laboratories and startups are already operating in biomedicine, artificial intelligence, and advanced materials. On the Hong Kong side, the Lok Ma Chau Loop is being developed to complement those efforts with upstream research from globally ranked universities. A five-year plan provides a framework to synchronize land preparation, infrastructure delivery, and talent recruitment at the required scale.
Hong Kong’s unique strengths within the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area should not be overlooked. No other city combines a common law system, a freely traded currency, and deep capital markets. The Northern Metropolis does not dilute this identity but extends it
Connectivity is another priority. The Action Agenda includes proposals for expanded rail and additional crossing points to reduce friction between Hong Kong’s northern districts and Shenzhen’s southern tech hubs. Tying infrastructure to a clear timetable enables counterparts in Guangdong and Shenzhen to plan accordingly. Predictability matters.
There is also a broader question of direction. Hong Kong excels in finance, trade, and professional services, but relying indefinitely on the same pillars carries risk. The Northern Metropolis is a deliberate attempt to develop new industries at scale, setting aside land for life sciences, data-driven sectors and advanced manufacturing. Placing these plans within a five-year framework signals government commitment to delivery.
Hong Kong’s unique strengths within the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area should not be overlooked. No other city combines a common law system, a freely traded currency, and deep capital markets. The Northern Metropolis does not dilute this identity but extends it. A technology corridor with strong intellectual property protections and seamless access to Chinese mainland supply chains is a proposition few jurisdictions can match.
The April visit to Beijing was both ceremonial and substantive, signaling high-level coordination while working through policy details. No detailed outcomes have been publicly released, but the rhythm of exchanges — the financial secretary in Beijing in March, followed by the broader delegation — reflects an iterative, grounded process.
Hong Kong has never lacked entrepreneurial energy. A five-year plan provides discipline and a shared vocabulary with the mainland’s development machinery. For the Northern Metropolis, which will take shape over two decades and require coordination across multiple bureaus, that longer horizon is not a luxury but a necessity.
As Hong Kong finalizes its blueprint in the coming months, the Northern Metropolis should feature prominently. If it delivers on milestones — chiefly housing and jobs— the plan will stand as a statement that Hong Kong’s future growth stretches north toward a border increasingly functioning as a gateway rather than a dividing line.
The author is an international partner and member of the Global Advisory Board, MilleniumAssociates AG.
The views do not necessarily reflect those of China Daily.