Hong Kong will draft its first Five-Year Plan through extensive public consultation under constructive executive-legislative relations, with national security and the city’s long-term development factored into the plan, Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Janice Tse Siu-wa said on Monday.
In a media interview, Tse noted that the Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Bureau will lead the formulation of Hong Kong’s first Five-Year Plan to better align with the nation’s 15th Five-Year Plan, in accordance with the principle that “security is the prerequisite for development, and development is the guarantee of security.”
Describing the national 15th Five-Year Plan as a strategic blueprint for the country’s development, Tse said Hong Kong’s Five-Year Plan will be forward-looking, strategic and long-term in scope.
To ensure comprehensive input, the government has established a collaborative mechanism with the Legislative Council to gather broad feedback from both the public and professional sectors.
Key areas of focus for the plan will include finance, land use, and the development of the Northern Metropolis.
In addition, Tse highlighted the critical role of education in safeguarding national security. She described patriotic education as the “DNA of the immune system," helping the public resist external interference, infiltration and separatist tendencies.
She said the bureau will work with various sectors to host more forums, exhibitions and other related events to bolster this effort.
Other government bureaus will arrange more visits for young people to the mainland to gain a first‑hand understanding of national conditions.
Tse said she believes such exchanges will help foster a deeper emotional connection to, and sense of identity with, the country.
