context: John Lee 李家超 Chief Executive of Hong Kong announced Hong Kong's inaugural 5-year plan marks a decisive shift from the city's traditional 'laissez-faire' governance towards a more dirigiste model, mirroring the mainland's role as a proactive planner, regulator and investor. This transition reflects a deeper institutional alignment with national strategies after the 2019 unrest, as the SAR Government moves to address historical criticisms of lacking long-term vision and missing critical opportunities for industrial upgrading.
John Lee 李家超 Chief Executive of Hong Kong, announced that the SAR Government will formulate its first-ever 5-year plan to align with the national 15th 5-year plan, marking a shift towards more proactive governance and integration with national strategy. By assuming the role of 'prime person responsible' for integrating with the national 15th 5-year plan, the administration is effectively incorporating Hong Kong into the broader state framework. While this structural pivot aims to rectify past economic stagnation through regional synergy, it simultaneously signals a narrowing of the traditional policy autonomy that once defined the city’s separate administrative character, as Hong Kong increasingly operates as a coordinated component of the national development apparatus.
Lee addressed the 2026 Lunar New Year reception hosted by the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the HKSAR, underscoring
- economic expansion of 3.5 percent in 2025
- 12 percent increase in both import and export totals
- retention of status as the world’s freest economy
- rise to third place in global competitiveness rankings
- digital competitiveness and talent rankings reaching fourth globally
- record high of over 11,000 mainland and overseas companies in the city
- commitment to strengthening the government's role as the 'prime person responsible'
- continued focus on leveraging 'one country, two systems' for international cooperation