HONG KONG, Sept. 16 (Xinhua) -- John Lee, chief executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), said on Wednesday that Hong Kong will strengthen its four centers and develop into a hub for high-caliber talent, consolidating and enhancing its edge in global competition.
Announcing Hong Kong's first five-year plan for economic and social development (2026-2030), Lee said that by consolidating and enhancing Hong Kong's status as international financial, maritime and trade centers, and developing Hong Kong into an international I&T center and a global hub for high-caliber talent, Hong Kong will further sharpen its competitive edge.
Lee said that Hong Kong, as an international financial center, must firmly demonstrate its international positioning by leveraging its open financial markets to attract global capital, talent, and financial enterprises.
Hong Kong must seek growth through stability and in turn reinforce stability through growth, a principle anchoring resilient underpinning, stable structures, robust capabilities, and manageable risks, as the city moves forward with various initiatives. These include fully leveraging the core function of propelling the real economy with finance, forging secure and highly effective financial infrastructure, and systemically developing a diverse capital market, he added.
Furthermore, Hong Kong will strive to enhance its competitive edge as an international aviation hub by continuously launching new routes, strategically attracting local and non-local airlines to develop new destinations and increase flight frequencies, and strengthening Hong Kong's long-haul network, particularly connections with the Belt and Road Initiative partner countries, he said.
On developing Hong Kong into an international hub for high-caliber talent, Lee said that Hong Kong will promote the integrated development of education, technology, and talent.
By leveraging its strengths, Hong Kong will enhance mechanisms to coordinate and execute these strategies, adopting a targeted approach to attract talent essential to the development needs of the country and the city, Lee said. ■
