The Chief Executive's Council of Advisers (CECA), chaired by the Chief Executive, Mr John Lee, held working luncheons for three consecutive days this week (July 28 to 30) to listen to the views expressed by CECA members for Hong Kong's First Five-Year Plan (Hong Kong's Five-Year Plan) and the Chief Executive's 2026 Policy Address, as well as the overall development of Hong Kong.

     Mr Lee said, "I welcome two new members who joined CECA this year, including the Chairman of Jiangsu Hengrui Pharmaceuticals Co, Ltd, Dr Sun Piaoyang, and the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of StarFive Semiconductor Technology Co, Ltd, Mr Xu Tao, who travelled to Hong Kong to attend the working luncheon. Faced with a competitive external environment and accelerating technological transformations, Hong Kong must adopt a long-term perspective and formulate more systematic strategies for key development areas. I am leading the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government in formulating Hong Kong's First Five-Year Plan. Hong Kong's Five-Year Plan and the Policy Address are closely aligned, with the Policy Address serving as the annual report on the implementation of Hong Kong's Five-Year Plan. Members of CECA noted at the meeting that Hong Kong possesses the unique advantages of having strong support of the motherland and being closely connected to the world under the 'one country, two systems' principle. By leveraging its status as an international centre, proactively developing into an international innovation and technology centre and an international hub for high-calibre talent, members are confident that Hong Kong will continue to give full play to its roles as a 'super value-adder' and a 'super connector', thereby better integrating into and serving the overall national development while advancing its own development."

     Hong Kong is proactively aligning with the country's 15th Five-Year Plan. CECA conducted extensive discussions under three related themes:

1. Hong Kong's economic advancement and sustainability - including how to further consolidate and enhance its position as an international centre in finance, shipping and trade, while at the same time accelerate the development of the Northern Metropolis to serve as a new engine for developing new quality productive forces, with a view to continuously enhancing Hong Kong's long-term competitiveness.

2. Innovation and entrepreneurship - including how to expedite the upgrading and transformation of traditional industries while strengthening emerging industries and investing in and nurturing future industries, with a view to fully developing Hong Kong into an international innovation and technology centre and an international hub for high-calibre talent.

3. Regional and global collaborations - including how to elevate the level of regional co-operation, deepen the integrated development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, deeply participate in the high-quality development of the Belt and Road Initiative, and continuously expand international exchanges and co-operation to consolidate Hong Kong's role as an important international window for the country's high-level opening up.

     Mr Lee said that members of CECA are distinguished and eminent leaders in their respective fields with extensive international experience and forward-looking perspectives. He thanked all members for their profound insights and pragmatic suggestions on the future economic and social development of Hong Kong, which have provided valuable references for Hong Kong's Five-Year Plan and Policy Address.

     The three working luncheons were chaired by the Chief Executive. The Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Chan Kwok-ki; the Secretary for Justice, Mr Paul Lam, SC; the Acting Financial Secretary, Mr Michael Wong; the Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs, Miss Janice Tse Siu-wa; the Director of the Chief Executive's Office, Ms Carol Yip; and the Head of the Chief Executive's Policy Unit (CEPU), Dr Stephen Wong, attended the three working luncheons respectively.

     Hong Kong's Five-Year Plan and the Chief Executive's 2026 Policy Address will be announced later this year. Public consultations for both were launched in June.

     The Chief Executive established CECA in 2023 to seek advice on the strategic developments of Hong Kong with a view to leveraging the opportunities from national and global developments. For the membership of CECA, please refer to the website of the CEPU (www.cepu.gov.hk/en/CECA/membership.html), which serves as the secretariat of CECA.

Ends/Thursday, July 30, 2026
Issued at HKT 17:33

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