Lee Ka-chow: Hong Kong's first five-year plan is expected to be released ahead of schedule in the third quarter of this year.

The Hong Kong SAR government is actively preparing the first five-year plan for Hong Kong. Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu said in a media interview that the government is expected to launch the first five-year plan for Hong Kong earlier than originally planned, by the end of the third quarter of this year. He believes that the earlier the plan is launched, the better, as it can clearly outline the future development blueprint, allowing the annual policy address to focus more on responding to and aligning with the direction and requirements of the plan. The government originally planned to launch the plan in the fourth quarter of this year. John Lee Ka-chiu pointed out that the initial preparation work was initially the biggest challenge. It usually takes 18 months to two years for mainland cities to formulate a five-year plan, while Hong Kong lacks relevant experience. However, the progress of the preparation is faster than expected at present, mainly due to the full support of the entire government, active cooperation from all sectors of society, and the Legislative Council members adopting a collaborative mechanism to provide reports and opinions in their respective professional fields, greatly shortening the preparation time. He revealed that the authorities have conducted comprehensive research on the experiences of different cities in mainland China, including referencing the five-year plans of cities in the Greater Bay Area. Among them, Shenzhen's situation is most similar to Hong Kong, while Shanghai is most comparable. In addition, Macau has completed two five-year plans, and its experience is also valuable for reference. The government will launch a two-month public consultation from next Monday (June 15th) to August 14th. John Lee Ka-chiu stated that there will be multiple online and offline consultation activities, and he will also consider holding regional consultations similar to those in the annual policy address. He will explain to the public and listen to their opinions in hopes of building consensus.