Click to follow the avatar of "Jian Liuzhi" and don't miss every big news in Hong Kong.
This year marks the 27th anniversary of Hong Kong's return to the motherland, which not only marks the close ties between Hong Kong and the motherland, but also demonstrates Hong Kong's prosperity and stability under the "one country, two systems" principle. A number of accountable officials posted celebratory posts on social media, reflecting on past achievements and looking ahead to the direction of their work.
Over the past year, the HKSAR Government has adopted a series of policies and measures to promote economic development, improve people's livelihood and actively integrate into the overall development of the country. These efforts and achievements all demonstrate Hong Kong's unique advantages and bright prospects under "One Country, Two Systems". Looking ahead, with the support of the country, Hong Kong will continue to embrace more opportunities and challenges, and contribute to the realization of the Chinese dream of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.
The HKSAR Government has made remarkable progress in land and housing development, laying a solid foundation for future economic and livelihood development. The Secretary for Development, Mr Ning Hon-ho, said that the government had locked in the source of land supply of about 7,000 hectares to meet the demand for the next 30 years. Among them, about 3,000 hectares of land will be available for development in the next 10 years, mainly from strategic projects such as the Northern Metropolis and Kau Yi Chau artificial islands.
On the housing supply, the Secretary for Housing, Mr Ho Wing-yin, pointed out that as at the end of March this year, about 176,800 public housing units are expected to be built in the next five years. This figure represents an increase of about 11 per cent over the same period of the previous five years, demonstrating the Government's determination to address the housing problem. The HKSAR Government has also launched innovative LPH projects, with the first batch of about 2,100 LPH units to be completed in the first quarter of next year, and plans to complete 30,000 LPH units in 2026/27 to fill the shortfall in short-term public housing supply. In addition, the Government has also implemented simplified lease renewal arrangements, which not only enhances land use efficiency, but also demonstrates the protection afforded to Hong Kong under "One Country, Two Systems". These measures will help stabilise the housing market, improve the living environment of the public and promote the long-term development of Hong Kong.
The HKSAR Government has made continuous efforts in education and talent development, and is committed to improving the quality of education and nurturing high-quality talents. The Secretary for Education, Ms Choi Yuk-lin, emphasised that the key to Hong Kong's role as "what the country needs and what Hong Kong is good at" is to nurture talents. The Government will promote Hong Kong as an international education hub with the goal of "cultivating people through virtue", and actively promote VPET education and enhance the curriculum of primary and secondary schools.
In promoting STEAM education, the Government will vigorously promote science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics education in primary and secondary schools to equip students with the abilities needed in the new era. Specific measures include introducing science classes in primary schools to enhance students' integrated problem-solving, scientific and creative thinking, and earmarking $200 million for aided primary schools to purchase additional teaching aids and upgrade facilities. In addition, the Government will also implement learning and teaching support projects in line with the mathematics curriculum to enhance students' ability to apply mathematics.
On VPET, the Government will promote the establishment of universities of applied sciences and encourage them to work closely with the professional and technical industries to integrate more internship and workplace learning opportunities into their programmes to nurture students' applied skills. These measures will help enhance the status and attractiveness of VPET and train and nurture more talents with applied skills and quality skills for Hong Kong. In addition, the Government will expand the Scholarship Scheme by injecting an additional $1 billion into the Government Scholarship Fund to increase the number of places under the Belt and Road Scholarship and the Hong Kong PhD Fellowship Scheme, so as to attract more outstanding talents to study and conduct research in Hong Kong. These measures will help enhance Hong Kong's international competitiveness and provide strong support for Hong Kong's long-term development.
The HKSAR Government has been promoting innovation in transport and logistics, with a view to enhancing the city's competitiveness and sustainable development. The Secretary for Transport and Logistics, Mr Lam Sai-hung, said that Hong Kong needs to continue to innovate and promote the integration of the aviation and shipping industries with green technology and digital enhancement. These innovations will not only help improve transport efficiency, but also reduce the impact on the environment and achieve green development.
In terms of logistics, the Hong Kong government announced the Action Plan for the Development of Modern Logistics in 2023, which lists smart and green and sustainable as the two major directions for the development of Hong Kong's logistics industry. Through a series of measures, the government has supported the upgrading and transformation of the industry and grasped the new trend of smart and green logistics. For example, the Government-funded Pilot Subsidy Scheme for Third-party Logistics Service Providers has funded 244 projects with a total funding of about HK$146 million. These funding schemes help enterprises accelerate their digital transformation and take Hong Kong's logistics industry to new heights. Hong Kong is also actively promoting the development of a smart transport system. In December last year, the Government launched a high-level and forward-looking Transport Strategic Study to comprehensively review and formulate a transport strategic blueprint up to 2050. These strategies will help address traffic congestion, support Hong Kong's sustainable development, and facilitate the flow of people and goods within the Greater Bay Area.
With continuous promotion of environmental protection and energy strategies, the HKSAR Government is committed to achieving sustainable development and carbon neutrality. The Secretary for Environment and Ecology, Mr Tse Chin-wan, said that Hong Kong has announced the Hong Kong Hydrogen Development Strategy, which aims to promote the application and development of hydrogen energy technologies. This strategy will leverage the mainland's technological advantages in hydrogen energy production, storage, transportation and refueling, and promote Hong Kong to become a national hydrogen energy demonstration base. In terms of renewable energy, the Hong Kong government actively promotes the development of renewable energy such as solar and wind energy. According to Hong Kong's Climate Action Plan 2050, the government has set a target of increasing the proportion of renewable energy in the fuel mix for electricity generation to 7.5% to 10% by 2035². In addition, the Government plans to install renewable energy systems in reservoirs, rehabilitated landfills and suitable government buildings and facilities.
To further reduce carbon emissions, the government has also promoted a number of energy-saving measures. According to the Hong Kong Urban Energy Saving Blueprint 2015~2025+, Hong Kong's energy intensity has been reduced by 30.8% between 2005 and 2020. The Government will continue to promote the application of energy-efficient technologies and encourage citizens and businesses to adopt energy-saving measures to achieve the target of reducing energy intensity by 40% by 2025.
In terms of green transportation, the government is committed to promoting the development of new energy vehicles. Transport is the second largest source of greenhouse gas emissions in Hong Kong, and Hong Kong has been committed to developing new energy vehicles to achieve carbon neutrality and zero vehicle emissions by 2050. The Government has completed a number of risk assessments on the use of tunnels for hydrogen vehicles and plans to introduce the relevant legislative amendments into the Legislative Council in 2025.
With continuous promotion of innovation, technology and industrial development, the HKSAR Government is committed to developing Hong Kong into an international I&T hub. According to the Hong Kong Innovation and Technology Development Blueprint, the Government has formulated a development path and strategic plan for the next five to 10 years, with the objective of improving the I&T ecosystem and promoting Hong Kong's "new industrialisation". On the I&T ecosystem, the Government will strengthen support for universities' basic research activities and facilities, and strengthen efforts to encourage the commercialisation of R&D results¹. For example, innovation hubs such as the Hong Kong Science Park and Cyberport have become important platforms for local and international I&T enterprises. These bases not only provide state-of-the-art facilities and technical support, but also facilitate collaboration and exchange among I&T enterprises.
On promoting the development of the technology industry, the Government has increased I&T land and upgraded infrastructure facilities, introduced leading enterprises, and strengthened support for strategic industries. For example, the expansion of the Hong Kong Science Park and the Cyberport Phase 5 expansion will further enhance Hong Kong's I&T infrastructure. In addition, the Government plans to develop the InnoHK Research Cluster at the Hong Kong Science Park, focusing on areas such as medical technology, artificial intelligence and robotics.
In terms of venture capital financing, the Government has optimised the operation of the Innovation and Technology Venture Fund to support start-ups and industrial development. For example, the Innovation and Technology Venture Fund (ITVF) set up by the Government has provided financial support to a number of start-ups to help them accelerate their growth. These measures will help attract more overseas capital to invest in the local I&T industry and promote the prosperity of Hong Kong's I&T ecosystem.
The HKSAR Government has made continuous efforts in the areas of home affairs and social services, and is committed to enhancing the quality of life and social harmony of the people. The Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs, Ms Mak Mei-kuen, said that in the past year, the Youth Affairs Team has given full play to the spirit of "the people can help you", so that "the people have something to look forward to, and the government can do something", so that the people of Hong Kong can make everything prosperous.
In terms of social welfare, the Hong Kong Government has actively promoted a number of measures to address social needs and challenges. For example, the Hong Kong Social Welfare Summit and the Inauguration Ceremony of the Hong Kong Social Welfare Sector Heart-to-Heart Campaign were held in May this year, aiming to unite and unite Hong Kong, Mainland and international stakeholders to share and exchange views on social welfare issues. The event showcased Hong Kong's latest developments in the field of social welfare and highlighted Hong Kong's unique advantages under "One Country, Two Systems".
In addition, the Government has launched a number of social service programmes to support the disadvantaged and promote social inclusion. For example, the Government and the Department of Civil Affairs of Guangdong Province signed the Memorandum of Understanding on Jointly Promoting Co-operation in Elderly Care in Hong Kong and Guangdong, with a view to encouraging the development of elderly care services in the two places and promoting training and exchanges in the field of elderly care services. These measures will help improve the quality of elderly care services in Hong Kong and provide better living security for the elderly.
On youth affairs, the Government has been actively promoting youth development programmes to provide more learning and development opportunities for young people. For example, the Government has launched a number of youth training programmes aimed at enhancing the skills and competitiveness of young people and encouraging them to participate actively in society. These programmes will help nurture more young talents with international vision and innovation capabilities, and provide strong support for Hong Kong's future development.
The 27th anniversary of Hong Kong's return to the motherland is an important moment worth celebrating and reflecting. In the past 27 years, under the protection of "One Country, Two Systems", Hong Kong has undergone a transformation from "chaos to order" to "rule and prosperity"¹. Through a series of policies and measures, the HKSAR Government has promoted economic development, improved people's livelihood and actively integrated into the overall development of the country.
The author believes that with the support of the country and the concerted efforts of all citizens, Hong Kong will continue to leverage its advantages of "relying on the motherland and connecting with the world" to achieve greater prosperity and stability. Let us join hands to contribute to the future of Hong Kong and create a more prosperous and harmonious society. At this moment, we not only look back on the achievements of the past, but also look forward to the bright prospects of the future. Hong Kong's tomorrow will be even more brilliant.
Text: Liu Jiancheng
#香港#