Participation in national development set to bring Hong Kong great opportunities: HKSAR financial secretary

HONG KONG, March 15 (Xinhua) -- Participation in national development not only represents Hong Kong's mission and responsibility, but also presents huge opportunities in the future, said Paul Chan, financial secretary of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government.

In a blog post published on Sunday, Chan said that the newly unveiled outline of the 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-2030) has clearly pointed out how Hong Kong's unique advantages can be further leveraged in the coming five years.

Hong Kong must further its understanding and study of the outline and better integrate into it, Chan said, adding that on the back of its strengths in multiple areas, Hong Kong will be able to unleash greater growth potential during the process.

Chan emphasized that to promote coordinated regional development, Hong Kong should work with other cities in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area to formulate more concrete and feasible measures. The focus should be put on aligning rules, connecting mechanisms, and facilitating the cross-border flow of innovative elements, among others.

The HKSAR government announced that preparatory teams established earlier by various policy bureaus have now been converted into a five-year plan drafting group. The group is working at full speed to compile the city's first five-year plan, which is scheduled for completion within this year, Chan said.