Matthew Cheung: Hong Kong's first five-year plan is expected to be released at the end of the third quarter, and the North will be an important engine for future development.

The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government is currently compiling Hong Kong's first five-year plan. The Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, John Lee Ka-chiu, recently revealed in an interview that the first five-year plan for Hong Kong is expected to be released by the end of the third quarter of this year, earlier than the original target set by the government for the end of the year. Earlier, he announced that the government would start public consultation on the Hong Kong five-year plan starting June 15. John Lee Ka-chiu pointed out that the development of the Northern Metropolitan area is a key focus of this government, which has evolved from simply increasing land and housing supply to a comprehensive development strategy that integrates industry, technology, university towns, and livable environments suitable for living, working, and visiting. He emphasized that the concept of a university town should be promoted as a "city area", covering five major elements: education, technology, talent, industry, and urban development, all developed in coordination. He stated that a successful university town requires the coordination of five elements - education, technology, talent, industry, and urban development, after conducting research in different locations. He explained that the development of the Northern Metropolis is crucial for Hong Kong's future and should not only focus on building houses, but aim to comprehensively enhance Hong Kong. In addition to providing more housing through land development, the focus should also be on industrial, technological, and university town development, which are crucial for raising Hong Kong's overall competitiveness and development level. He outlined four development goals for the Northern Metropolitan area: the first is industry, the second is technology, the third is the university town, and the fourth is a livable, workable, and visitable environment. He stressed that all four goals are interrelated and none should be overlooked. He also emphasized the importance of environmental protection, including the conservation of natural resources such as the Three Banyan Trees and Hong Fah Hill, which are included in the concept of a livable, workable, and visitable environment to improve both the quantity and quality of living spaces. Regarding the neighboring River Trade area, its manufacturing industry was described by John Lee Ka-chiu as having advantages over any other place in the world. The River Trade has a special legal framework that ensures the smooth flow of people, goods, funds, and data without any obstruction. Hong Kong and Shenzhen parks can jointly develop research and development, with the results directly applicable to patients - including patients in Hong Kong and the mainland. He also pointed out that one of the main directions of the River Trade is the research and development of new medicines, while the Tuen Mun area has a third medical school. If the concept of a city area is applied to consider the Tuen Mun university town, River Trade, and the New Tin Science and Technology City (a total of 300 hectares), Tuen Mun will no longer be isolated in 50 hectares but integrated into a large development area of 350 hectares. The same idea applies to Hung Hom Bridge and the Northeastern New Development Zone. John Lee Ka-chiu stated that the "14th Five-Year Plan" requires Hong Kong to integrate into and serve the national development plan, prompting Hong Kong to consider not only local issues but also national and international issues. The development of the Northern Metropolis embodies this change in thinking - through cooperation with the River Trade in Shenzhen, cross-border medical care, and cross-border elderly care arrangements, overcoming the restrictions of Hong Kong's 1100 square kilometers of land to achieve expansion. He cited an example that Hong Kong excels in basic research and has been vigorously developing midstream technology in recent years, while the mainland has clear advantages in downstream aspects such as mass production and market scale. After the two parties connect, a complete ecosystem is formed. In addition, cross-border mobility greatly increases the possibilities for Hong Kong in industries, employment, and elderly care. "This two-way interaction, in addition to complementary advantages, also strengthens different aspects."