China National Day: Hong Kong leader hails Five-Year Plan as astronaut sends greetings

Chief Executive John Lee hailed the city’s first Five-Year Plan at a celebration on Thursday marking the 77th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China.

Following a flag-raising ceremony at Golden Bauhinia Square, Lee told attendees at Wan Chai’s Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre that China had achieved a historic transformation to become the world’s largest manufacturer.

“The formulation of a Five-Year Plan for Hong Kong is not merely about rolling out a series of policy initiatives. The Plan provides a strategic roadmap for Hong Kong, allowing us to apply our unique advantages under ‘one country, two systems,’ embrace modern trends and seize the opportunities brought by national development,” he said, according to a government press release.

Citing the geopolitical landscape and rapid technological development, he said the blueprint will allow the city “to fully and swiftly seize the immense opportunities brought by national development, and to deliver more fruits of development to the benefit of our citizens.”

“I am confident that as long as we, each dedicated to our respective roles, join hands and work in synergy with one another, Hong Kong will certainly be able to set out on a path to a brighter and more prosperous future. Finally, I wish our motherland and Hong Kong continuing prosperity and stability,” he added.

The director of Beijing’s liaison office in Hong Kong Zhou Ji, and former chief executives Donald Tsang, Leung Chun-ying and Carrie Lam also attended Thursday’s ceremony, alongside top officials.

After unveiling the plan last month, Lee denied the half-decade policy blueprint, aligning with Beijing’s practice, signalled a shift in Hong Kong’s existing system. He said the proposal would adhere to the city’s “capitalist system.”

As part of the Five-Year Plan, authorities set 22 indicators labelled “anticipatory” or “binding,” adopting Beijing’s evaluation framework.

Among the “anticipatory” indicators is an increase in the ratio of total domestic expenditure on innovation activities to GDP from 1.63 per cent in 2024 to three per cent after 2030, as well as an increase in the “value added” of the tourism industry by 40 to 50 per cent. Beyond economic indicators, the government also outlined goals related to diversity in universities, the ratio of medical staff to population, and environmental matters.

Authorities aim to increase the share of zero-carbon energy in the fuel mix for electricity generation from 25 per cent in 2024 to 30 per cent in 2030. They also aim to lower the average concentration of PM2.5 air pollutant particles from 15 micrograms per cubic metre to below 14.

Regarding the Northern Metropolis tech hub, the Five-Year Plan outlines two related indicators.

Over the next half-decade, authorities will strive for a cumulative 750 per cent increase in “spade-ready sites” in the metropolis, referring to land that has been made ready for construction work. The government also hopes to increase the number of completed housing units in the Northern Metropolis by 640 per cent.

Proposed in 2021, the Northern Metropolis is a sprawling infrastructure project set to transform 30,000 hectares of land near the city’s rural border with mainland China. The tech hub promises to provide jobs, more homes, and deeper integration with neighbouring Shenzhen. However, critics have voiced concern over the HK$224 billion project’s scale and ambition, its impact on sensitive wetland habitats, and the loss of existing homes and farmland.

Greetings from space

Lai Ka-ying, a Hong Kong police superintendent and payload specialist currently aboard the Shenzhou-23 manned spaceflight mission, sent blessings to the country for National Day.

“Taking part in the national manned space mission has given me a profound sense of the nation’s soaring strength,” she said, according to RTHK. “Every piece of precision equipment we operate here, and every scientific experiment we carry out, embodies the pride of ‘Made in China’ and ‘Created in China’… I’m deeply grateful for the nation’s care towards Hong Kong and Macao, and I treasure this opportunity.”

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Tom founded Hong Kong Free Press in 2015 as the city's first crowdfunded newspaper. He has a BA in Communications and New Media from Leeds University and an MA in Journalism from the University of Hong Kong. He previously founded an NGO advocating for domestic worker rights, and has contributed to the BBC, Deutsche Welle, Al-Jazeera and others.

Tom leads HKFP – raising funds, managing the team and navigating risk – whilst regularly speaking on press freedom, ethics and media funding at industry events, schools and conferences around the world.