Speech by CS at Youth Development Summit Hong Kong (English only)
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Distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen,
Good morning. Welcome to Hong Kong and to the third edition of the Youth Development Summit.
I'm delighted to speak to you this morning - young leaders and officials from Hong Kong, the Chinese Mainland and 35 countries and regions. Your contributions today are essential to the Summit's success.
This year's Summit theme, "Pioneering New Horizons, Venturing into the Future," perfectly captures the forward-thinking mindset essential to the next generation - to you and your promising future.
"To pioneer" means having the courage to break new ground, to embrace emerging fields such as artificial intelligence and cultural innovation. And "to venture" means stepping boldly beyond comfort zones, turning uncertainty into opportunity and building connections across borders.
That's precisely why we are here today - to provide the setting, resources and global network you need to take that big step with confidence.
I'm pleased to say that Hong Kong has excelled in global rankings over the past few years. We have consistently ranked as the world's freest economy and are now second in the world for competitiveness.
We are also the world's third-ranked international financial centre, behind only New York and London, and have risen to fourth, globally, in talent competitiveness.
These international standings have put a bright spotlight on Hong Kong's development as an economy and a community, while emphasising the world's confidence in us. They also underline Hong Kong's long-term prosperity and stability under "One Country, Two Systems."
In September, the Chief Executive announced Hong Kong's First Five-Year Plan to align with national development strategies and expand our global competitiveness and influence.
The Five-Year Plan is our strategic blueprint for the city's economic and social development over the next five years.
Like the Five-Year Plan, this year's Policy Address puts a priority on youth development.
Initiatives include the establishment of the International Young Talent Exchange Base and the strengthening of our co-operation with international organisations. Both are designed to help the youth of Hong Kong go global.
We are also expanding youth internship and training activities. They target such key sectors and areas as finance, aerospace technology, high-end scientific research, AI and start-ups.
I'm confident these and other measures will, ultimately, help Hong Kong youth serve the needs of our economy, our community and our country. That includes participating in the development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, as well as the Belt and Road Initiative.
Then there's our Youth Development Blueprint. Since its establishment, four years ago, the Blueprint has implemented nearly 300 initiatives. I'm pleased to say these include the annual Youth Development Summit.
We will continue to deepen patriotic education for young people, while helping them broaden their international horizons. The goal is to ensure that our youth are raised with an affection for the country and Hong Kong, and equipped with a global perspective, an aspiring mindset and positive thinking.
This Summit showcases our commitment to you - to welcoming a world of young talent and visitors to Hong Kong.
That includes some 20 prominent speakers, from government officials and young entrepreneurs to business professionals and creative talent.
In today's sessions, they will share their invaluable insights on applying diversified development to broaden your career and life horizons.
Ladies and gentlemen, your future begins right here, right now.
I know you will enjoy today's Youth Development Summit. And I wish you all an unforgettable stay in Hong Kong, Asia's world city. Your world city.
Thank you.
Ends/Saturday, November 7, 2026
Issued at HKT 11:02
Issued at HKT 11:02
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