New mainland affairs chief to lead HK’s first five-year plan, says John Lee

The newly appointed Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Janice Tse Siu-wa will prioritize coordinating and formulating Hong Kong’s first Five-Year Plan while also overseeing upcoming elections, Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu said on Monday.

Lee’s remarks followed Beijing’s decision to appoint the 61-year-old former Permanent Secretary for the Environment as the SAR’s new constitutional and mainland affairs chief upon Lee’s nomination. 

Lee said the formulation of the first Five-Year Plan of the city is a top priority led by the Chief Executive and spearheaded by the Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Bureau. The Bureau will facilitate collaborative research between the government and the Legislative Council and review the operation of existing mechanisms.

He expressed confidence that Tse would successfully steer the Bureau in coordinating the drafting of the blueprint, praising her strong sense of responsibility and leadership. 

The city’s leader said he considered several candidates before nominating Tse, a retired administrative officer with 38 years’ service, citing her outstanding performance, leadership and ability to foster cooperation across government. 

He noted Tse’s involvement with the 14th Five-Year Plan and her commitment to producing a high-quality first Hong Kong Five-Year Plan. Her strong communication and coordination skills, he added, are crucial to meeting this year’s tight deadline and aligning work across 15 policy bureaux.

Lee also pointed to Tse’s wide networks in the Legislative Council and other sectors, which he said will help ensure the plan’s smooth progress.

Tse said she was honoured to be nominated by the Chief Executive and appointed by the central authorities. She described the formulation of Hong Kong’s first Five-Year Plan as the most important task, to be carried out in collaboration with the government, the Legislative Council and the community. 

She added that several major elections will take place over the next two years, including this year’s Election Committee election and next year’s Chief Executive and District Council elections.

She pledged to uphold the principle of “patriots administering Hong Kong” and ensure the elections are conducted fairly, safely, and in an orderly manner and strengthen patriotism education.