The Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Matthew Cheung Kin-chung, made the following statement in response to the passage of the "Outline of the 14th Five-Year Plan for National Economic and Social Development of the People's Republic of China and the Long-Range Objectives Through the Year 2035" (the 14th Five-Year Plan) by the National People's Congress (NPC) today (March 11).

     I welcome the passage of the 14th Five-Year Plan by the NPC. Since the "Outline of the National 12th Five-Year Plan", the Central Government has fully positioned Hong Kong's role in planning and taking forward the country's overall development. The 14th Five-Year Plan continues to incorporate the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) in various areas, demonstrating the Central Government's strong support for maintaining Hong Kong’s long-term prosperity and stability and providing an historic opportunity for the future development of Hong Kong. It also enables Hong Kong to complement the overall national development strategies under "one country, two systems".

     The current-term HKSAR Government attaches great importance to Hong Kong's integration into the country's overall development. It is most encouraging that the 14th Five-Year Plan has included the support for the development of a high-quality Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA), the support for building Hong Kong as an international innovation and technology hub, enhancing the city's status as an international aviation hub, and developing Hong Kong into an exchange centre for arts and culture between China and the rest of the world.

     In the opening year of the country's 14th Five-Year Plan this year, Hong Kong will actively integrate into the country's overall development, fully participate in the development of the GBA, and seize the important historical and new opportunities that cannot be missed in the further reform and opening up of the country. Hong Kong will also capitalise on its strengths to serve the country's needs and play its vital role as a "participant" in domestic circulation and a "facilitator" in international circulation in the country's economic development. With the strong support of the Central Government, the HKSAR Government will join hands with all sectors of society to build a harmonious and stable Hong Kong, and strive to forge ahead to ensure the steadfast and successful implementation of "one country, two systems".

Ends/Thursday, March 11, 2021
Issued at HKT 16:25

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