Hong Kong SAR's Chief Executive John Lee unveils First Five-Year Plan and 2026 Policy Address

HONG KONG, Sept. 16 (People's Daily Online) --John Lee Ka-chiu, chief executive of China's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), delivered The First Five-Year Plan for Economic and Social Development of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (2026-2030) and The Chief Executive's 2026 Policy Address successively at the Legislative Council on Sept. 16.

This marks the first time Hong Kong has formulated a five-year plan since its return to the motherland, with the blueprint released in tandem with the annual Policy Address.

Hong Kong's Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu unveils the city's first five-year plan and the 2026 Policy Address, Sept. 16, 2026. (Photo/HKSAR Government)

The five-year plan features a blue cover, symbolizing openness, progress and stability; the Policy Address retains its traditional green cover, representing policy continuity, vitality and hope. Together, the two documents total more than 100,000 words. The HKSAR government has also produced two summary booklets, with covers depicting Victoria Harbour in the morning light, to make the content more accessible to the public.

Lee noted that the five-year plan sets out the blueprint for Hong Kong's economic and social development over the next five years, serving as a forward-looking, strategic and directional guiding document. He stated, "The Policy Address is the annual report for implementing the five-year plan and sets out the policy priorities for the year. The two are closely linked and form a coherent whole."

The Policy Address will set multiple indicators as annual milestones, Lee said. Each subsequent year, the government will formulate policy measures and major projects in light of the international environment, economic forecasts and the latest developments, to steadily advance the blueprint.

During the drafting process, the HKSAR government held more than 100 consultation sessions, with Lee personally chairing over 30 of them. It received more than 17,000 submissions on the five-year plan and over 11,000 on the Policy Address, and employed artificial intelligence technology to assist with the analysis.