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Matthew Cheng

Hong Kong’s leader will deliver the city’s first five-year plan and his annual policy address on September 16, stressing that presenting the blueprints together will help residents better understand how they are deeply connected.
Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu announced the move on Wednesday after he visited residents from lower-income households and inspected community services at Un Chau Estate in Sham Shui Po district to gather public views.
Lee said unveiling the five-year plan and then his policy address shortly afterwards would help residents better grasp how they complemented each other in defining the vision for Hong Kong’s future.
“The five-year plan draws the eyes of a dragon, while the policy address draws the entire dragon … but the public may not fully understand how they work together,” he said.
“If the public can look at the two documents together, they will see how the five-year plan sets the directional requirements and guidance and how the policy address formulates policies and implements the direction of the blueprint.”
He added that the policy address would formulate measures and set out indicators for implementing the five-year plan, based on the international environment, economic forecasts and the latest developments.
Lee said that he would present both documents at the Legislative Council on September 16, before attending a question and answer session with lawmakers the following day.
While Legco was originally scheduled to resume general meetings in October after the summer recess, he said the legislature would hold a special session for his presentation.




A government source underscored that the two documents were “deeply interconnected and hard to separate”, echoing the leader’s point that delivering them on the same day would help the public understand how they worked together.
“It definitely will not be an hours-long readout of the full five-year plan, followed by the policy address. That would be overwhelming,” the insider said.
“The chief executive is likely to deliver summaries of both, followed by elaborations on various occasions. Detailed arrangements are still being discussed internally.”
The source added that ministers would host briefings in the days after both blueprints were revealed to explain the various plans and policies.
Lau Siu-kai, a consultant for the semi-official Chinese Association of Hong Kong and Macau Studies think tank, said releasing the two blueprints together highlighted their relationship and would help focus public attention.
“During the formulation of the five-year plan, the government described Legco as a close partner and involved it from the beginning,” Lau said.
“To announce the plan in Legco underscores their partnership, and answering questions from lawmakers can strengthen interaction between the two branches.”
The government has concluded its two-month public consultation for the five-year plan, while consultation on the policy address is ongoing.
Earlier on Wednesday, Lee visited Un Chau Estate as part of public consultations for the policy address. He used the occasion to pledge to ease burdens on older people and their carers to support ageing in place.
“Enabling elderly people to live healthily and with dignity in familiar communities is an important direction of our elderly care policy,” the leader said in a social media post after the visit.
“My team and I will continue to promote the integration of medical care, rehabilitation, community support and technology applications, so as to reduce the burden on the elderly and their carers.”

During the one-hour visit, Lee spoke with residents, toured a centre for the elderly and tried out a stationary bike at the estate.
Accompanied by Secretary for Health Lo Chung-mau and Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs Alice Mak Mei-kuen, Lee met an elderly resident surnamed Chan at the centre.
The 88-year-old told Lee that she was hospitalised with pneumonia earlier, and was arranged for a follow-up at an ambulatory care centre after her discharge.
She commended the centre’s comfortable environment and short waiting times for check-ups, saying these had aided her recovery and eased the pressure on her family to accompany her to appointments and provide care.
Lee also inspected the call centre for the government’s 1823 public inquiry hotline and instructed staff to adopt artificial intelligence and other technologies to enhance efficiency.
The city leader previously met more than 200 residents and district representatives selected by authorities for two town hall meetings to gather views on the policy address and the five-year plan.
The plan aims to better align local development with efforts under the national blueprint for 2026-2030, while providing direction and strategic guidance for the future.
It will outline the city’s vision for the Northern Metropolis megaproject, the advancement of innovation and technology, and the development of finance, shipping and trade.
Lee earlier said the city needed to strengthen urban management to ensure better handling of natural disasters and public complaints.
He also said at the time that the five-year blueprint would create more quality jobs for young people and help them move up the housing ladder.
Analysts suggested that Lee’s decision to meet elderly residents indicated that their care would be among the priorities outlined in the five-year plan and the policy address, noting nearly a quarter of the city’s total population was aged 65 or older last year.
The national 15th five-year plan also covers several key livelihood issues, with addressing an ageing society among the priorities. It proposes measures to improve elder care, promote smart ageing and boost the silver economy.
Lau described the rapidly ageing population as a pressing challenge, saying the two blueprints could not sidestep the issue as it risked undermining societal and economic development.
Lawmaker Peter Douglas Koon Ho-ming agreed that the demographic shift was a long-standing challenge and said it required better coordination among bureaus.
“It is related to housing, healthcare, social welfare and the silver economy. The entire policy needs a clear [plan] in the five-year blueprint,” he said.
Acknowledging that many elderly people live in cramped flats, Koon said better housing and other supporting measures were needed to facilitate ageing in place.


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Hong Kong’s first 5-year plan, policy address to be unveiled on September 16

City leader John Lee tries out an exercise bike during his visit to Un Chau Estate in  Sham Shui Po. Photo: Karma Lo

John Lee says he will present both documents at the Legislative Council. Photo: Sam Tsang

The government concluded its two-month public consultation on the five-year plan earlier this month, while the consultation on the policy address is ongoing. Photo: Karma Lo

Lee has also acknowledged calls from some elderly residents for further support and subsidies. Photo: Karma Lo

Northern Metropolis and AI vital to Hong Kong’s 5-year plan: business chambers

The Northern Metropolis aims to transform about 30,000 hectares of land along the mainland Chinese border into an engine for growth, a housing hub and a university town. Photo: Karma Lo

The development of the Northern Metropolis should be guided by industrial development, enterprise presence and employment outcomes over the next five years, according to FHKI. Photo: Eugene Lee

Hong Kong garners 16,000 submissions from consultation for city’s first 5-year plan

The suggestions also called for the advancement of initiatives under the Northern Metropolis megaproject. Photo: Karma Lo

Chief Executive John Lee (front right) and Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Janice Tse attend a consultation session earlier this month. Photo: Nora Tam

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Hong Kong

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Hong Kong’s leader says releasing blueprints together will show how the five-year plan sets direction and the policy address implements it


Hong Kong’s leader says releasing blueprints together will show how the five-year plan sets direction and the policy address implements it.


Hong Kong’s first 5-year plan, policy address to be unveiled on September 16

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Hong Kong’s leader says releasing blueprints together will show how the five-year plan sets direction and the policy address implements it

Hong Kong’s leader says releasing blueprints together will show how the five-year plan sets direction and the policy address implements it