The Zhitong Finance App learned that on September 21, the Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs of Hong Kong, Tse Siu-wah, said at the opening press conference of the “Hong Kong Special Administrative Region's First Five-Year Plan for Economic and Social Development (2026-2030)” (“Hong Kong's First Five-Year Plan”) and the “Chief Executive's 2026 Policy Address” on green transformation and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. The SAR government has prepared the first five-year plan, which is a major step and breakthrough for the SAR government to uphold and improve administrative leadership and enhance the effectiveness of governance. We are also taking the initiative to meet the national development strategy and the strategic needs of better integrating and serving the overall development situation of the country. Hong Kong takes the initiative to connect with the overall development layout of the country's 15th Five-Year Plan, accurately based on the country's needs and Hong Kong's strengths, and ascertain its position in the overall development situation of the country and the international competition pattern.
The development of Hong Kong has always been closely linked to the development of the country. The country's huge economy, complete industrial system, strong innovation ability and hyperscale market have brought a broad stage to Hong Kong. With its unique advantages under one country and two systems — common law system, international business environment, free port, free flow of capital and talent, and highly internationalized professional services, Hong Kong can become an important bridge and platform for two-way connectivity between the country and the world.
There is a special chapter on the Greater Bay Area in the “Hong Kong First Five-Year Plan”, which clearly states that Hong Kong will participate in the construction of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and become a world-class urban agglomeration with global influence. Hong Kong will further closely connect and cooperate with nine Greater Bay Area cities in Guangdong Province and the Macau Special Administrative Region to make good use of their respective advantages and jointly promote high-quality development in the Greater Bay Area. At the time of preparing the “Hong Kong First Five-Year Plan,” I have already visited nine Greater Bay Area cities in Guangdong Province and Macau to study and discuss with them how to connect and better serve the country's important strategy for developing the Greater Bay Area, and draw on their experience in preparing the five-year plans in the past.
Xie Xiaohua added that with regard to the direction of Hong Kong's promotion of collaborative development in the Greater Bay Area, the “Hong Kong First Five-Year Plan” proposes five key points, including strengthening cooperation in science and technology innovation. We will continue to deepen and strengthen collaboration with Guangdong Province to promote science and technology innovation cooperation in the Greater Bay Area, deepen the two-way integration of the innovation chain and industrial chain, focus on the Hong Kong Park in the Hetao Shenzhen-Hong Kong Science and Technology Innovation Cooperation Zone, further strengthen the strategic interface with other cities in the Greater Bay Area, promote the cross-border flow of innovation and technology elements, and promote the transformation and application of scientific research results in other cities in the Greater Bay Area. This also echoes what we mentioned in the third section of the “Hong Kong First Five-Year Plan” that the northern metropolitan area should become the main platform for Hong Kong to participate deeply in the construction of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, actively integrate and serve the overall development of the country. Among them, technology is an important part.
It will also actively promote the Hong Kong-Shenzhen Western Railway and North Ring Road branch line projects, build the Greater Bay Area on track, strengthen the construction of new infrastructure in Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao, promote the construction of 6G networks, and speed up the layout of large-scale intelligent computing clusters. This is promoting the hard connectivity of infrastructure.
In terms of soft connectivity, it will promote mutual recognition of professional qualifications in the Greater Bay Area; promote the training and circulation of legal personnel within the Greater Bay Area; connect with the construction of the Health Bay Area, deepen medical and health cooperation, expand and promote Bay Area standards and Bay Area certifications, including common standards for technical standards in the construction industry; and enhance the level of facilitation of cross-border flow of factors, including improving the efficiency of port customs clearance and promoting the development of cross-border logistics.
In addition to hard connectivity and soft connectivity, we also hope to connect people in Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao. It will optimize and expand cross-border old-age service connections, strengthen cross-border medical cooperation, support the deep integration of Hong Kong institutions of higher learning in the Greater Bay Area, expand the space for young people to develop careers in the Greater Bay Area, and promote the integrated development of cultural, sports and tourism, so as to create a cultural Bay Area that is easy to live, work and travel.
It will also actively promote the construction of major cooperation platforms in the Greater Bay Area, including supporting the Qianhai Modern Service Industry Cooperation Zone to play a pioneering role, promoting Hong Kong's modern service industry based in Qianhai and expanding the mainland market; promoting mutually beneficial cooperation in the industrial chain and playing a high-level role as an open gateway to the outside world; participating in infrastructure development in Nansha, promoting mutually beneficial cooperation in the industrial chain, promoting the development and construction of Hetao on both sides of the river, one zone and two parks in an integrated manner, and jointly making Hetao an important pole for the Greater Bay Area International Science and Technology Innovation Center; and strengthening collaboration with Macau to encourage the industry to actively participate in the construction of Hengqin.
Xie Xiaohua said that the SAR government will meet the requirements of the National Fifteenth Five-Year Plan for the construction of the Greater Bay Area, continue to actively maintain close ties with relevant ministries and departments of the Central Committee, the Guangdong Provincial Government, and the Macao SAR Government to further seek policy innovation and breakthroughs. We will use the advantages of international cities to promote exchanges and tell the story of the Bay Area through regional and global conferences and forums. We will continue to promote opportunities in the development of the Greater Bay Area and Hong Kong's advantages through foreign visits by officials, international contacts with overseas economic and trade offices and various partner organizations, large-scale international exhibitions held in Hong Kong, and joint overseas promotion with the Guangdong Provincial Government and the Macao SAR Government.