The upcoming 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-30) is pivotal for Hong Kong's development, offering all sectors a clearer vision of the city's future positioning, Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu said after participating in a seminar on the essence of the fourth plenary session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China.

The plenary session, held from Oct 20-23, adopted the recommendations of the CPC Central Committee for formulating the 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-30) for Economic and Social Development, which lays out a top-level design and strategic road map for the country’s development over the next five years.

On Monday morning, a publicity delegation sent by the central government held a seminar at the government headquarters, drawing 500 attendees, including officials from the special administrative region government, members of the Executive Council, legislators, and representatives from the Judiciary.

Following the seminar, Lee told the media that the recommendations adopted by the plenary session are crucial for the nation's overarching development strategy and are of significant relevance for Hong Kong. They clearly define the future direction and positioning of the SAR, including its better integration into the national development framework, enhancing its strengths in finance, shipping, and trade, and advancing it as an international innovation and technology hub and a hub for international high-end talents.

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Lee said that, during the seminar, detailed explanations were provided by members of the publicity delegation to ensure the Hong Kong governance team fully understood the points made during the plenary session and the new national development agenda.

Members of the publicity delegation, along with Hou Jianguo, president of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and Zhu Weidong, deputy director of the Office of the Central Financial and Economic Affairs Commission and deputy director of the Office of the Central Rural Work Leading Group, also provided insights to ensure the attendees would accurately interpret the profound and complex changes in the country’s development environment during the period of the 15th Five-Year Plan.

The event also featured an interactive Q&A session during which members of the publicity delegation engaged in discussions with attendees on key topics, notably, the vital strategies supporting Hong Kong's development in the recommendations. Participants greatly benefited from the exchange, Lee said.

The delegation also visited the city’s Northern Metropolis — a new township in the making — on Monday afternoon.

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It will host another seminar on Tuesday, with representatives from diverse sectors of society attending. These will include Hong Kong SAR deputies to the National People's Congress and members of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, as well as representatives from key political and social organizations and representatives from the business, professional, education, media, and youth sectors.

Lee urged all sectors to absorb the essence of the plenary session, and to understand the nation's future development trajectory while also identifying opportunities available to Hong Kong. He promised to infuse the plenary session's spirit into the daily operations of his administration, and urged all sectors to foster deeper integration with, and contribute more to, the national development agenda.

In Macao on Nov 22, the publicity delegation held two similar seminars to discuss the essence of the fourth plenum. These sessions attracted a total of over 1,200 attendees, comprising government officials, legislators, judicial officers, and community figures.

Contact the writer at amberwu@chinadailyhk.com