Question 1: China's new Five-Year Plan emphasizes "institutional opening-up”. What is the key takeaway for the international community, and how does this approach reflect China’s long-term vision for global engagement?

China Insists On Further Opening Up

China has been insisting on further opening-up as part of China’s national goal. The more concrete policies can be found in the various free trade zones. Closest to Hong Kong is Nansha – it’s a national free trade zone and it has 803 square kilometres, it’s very large, forty-five minutes by high-speed train from Hong Kong. And the even larger one is of course, the new Hainan Free Trade Zone, which offers the freest trade policies amongst all the provinces in the country. China makes a very interesting point: Instead of, as is the case in many other countries encouraging support in exportation of their goods, China actually encourages, for example by the import fair, the importation of foreign-made goods. So, if I were a foreign trader, or foreign manufacturer, I would take a serious interest in not just the 15th National Five-Year Plan, but also the various free trade zones’ own policies.

Question 2: As a key international gateway to the Chinese mainland, how does Hong Kong’s unique position fit into the broader objectives of the 15th Five-Year Plan, in particular within Greater Bay Area?

Well, make a cup of tea, or coffee, or whatever drink, sit down, spend an afternoon going through this book. It’s very detailed, it’s very comprehensive and extensive. Hong Kong is part of China, we find opportunities in other passages about the whole of the country – so please do not just focus on the passages about Hong Kong, that would be too narrow. 

Many of the sectors that are based in Hong Kong will find huge opportunities in other parts of the country, in other parts of the Five-Year Plan, so that’s the first thing. Secondly, this is the National Five-Year Plan, and if someone says: “I’d like to seek out opportunities in other parts of the country, outside of Hong Kong.” Now, where do you go? You need to have a platform where you land your business. Let me give you a good example: Nansha, which is part of Guangzhou.

Deepen Comprehensive Cooperation among Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macau

Paragraph 8 of the Guangzhou 15th Five-Year Plan, actually has this as its heading: “To support Nansha, to deepen Guangdong, Hong Kong, Macau, comprehensive cooperation facing the world.” So, the keywords are really: deepen, world-facing, and comprehensive cooperation between Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macau. 

Nansha: Pioneer District with Chinese Style Modernisation

We all know that Nansha is one of the four major platforms for cooperation between Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macau. The other three being: Hetao, Hengqin, and Qianhai. And this paragraph actually says that Nansha would work towards this, and Guangzhou supporting it in doing so. So, they want to realise this as a pioneer district to realise Chinese style modernisation, and the particular sectors are: automobiles, shipping, green sectors, new generation information technology, AI, life sciences, deep sea, and deep space. So basically, it’s a business approach: sectors, location, and then you find where you can land your business. If you are seriously interested in developing, expanding your business in the whole of China, not just Hong Kong, read these documents. If you are interested in Guangdong, read the Guangdong Five-Year Plan.

Question 3: This will be the first time Hong Kong drafts its own five-year plan. Given the 'One Country, Two Systems' principle, how does the city ensure its plan aligns with national priorities while also addressing its own unique, long-term needs?

As to the role of Hong Kong preparing its own Five-Year Plan, it is important that the country in its law, governing the preparation of these plans, actually draws a line between Hong Kong, Macau, on the one hand, and the rest of the country, the provinces and municipal cities, etc, on the other hand. 

China Insists on “One Country, Two Systems”

It is important to note this, and this is the law that was passed by the National People's Congress. And in this law, which governs the preparation of the Five-Year Plans, actually states in Article 36 how the mainland provinces, autonomous regions and the municipalities prepare their Five-Year Plans. And then the following Article, Article 37, starts by saying that the country insists on the principle of “One Country, Two Systems”, supports Hong Kong SAR, Macau SAR, to proactively integrate with and serve the overall development of the country.

The article concerning Hong Kong, Macau starts by saying that the country insists on “One Country, Two Systems”. So, there is no question of, because Hong Kong is preparing its own Five-Year Plan to integrate with the mainland, Hong Kong practicing the same system as the mainland local authorities. So, it is important to know the difference. And so that should put at ease anyone who might have the apprehension, reservation that we have our own Five-Year Plan, Hong Kong is becoming like the mainland. 

What Written in 5-Year Plan Would be Accomplished

I should also add that past experiences have shown that whenever China sets its sight on certain goals and targets, particularly by putting it into the Five-Year Plan, whether it’s national, provincial, municipal etc., they will do it. They will achieve it. If you look at the 14th Five-Year Plan, just being completed, if you compare what was stated five years ago in the 14th Five-Year Plan to what you can now see and feel in the whole of the country.  You will see that when China states these goals and targets in their Five-Year Plans, they’ll make it. 

And therefore, you ride with the country, you ride the waves of the growth and the development of the country, next five years, next ten years and so on, and so these provide very, very good indications as to what you should go, when you are there, what you should do.