China’s 14th Five-Year Plan links up national strategy with the development of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) in crucial ways. It has not only mapped out a clear path forward for Hong Kong but has also brought about real growth through carefully rolled-out central policies, the building up of new quality productive forces in the HKSAR, and deeper ties across the region. Hong Kong has seen genuine progress in economic recovery, industrial upgrading, and fitting into the bigger national picture.
Central government policies have come at just the right time, smoothing the flow of people and resources. During the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-2025), the central government kept expanding the endorsement for individual visit (Geren Luyou) for travel to Hong Kong and Macao, bringing in 10 more mainland cities where people can visit the cities under the Individual Visit Scheme. At the same time, exit endorsements for talents in the mainland cities of the Greater Bay Area (GBA) traveling to and from Hong Kong and Macao have been issued to a large number of high-caliber professionals.
With these two measures working in tandem, the number of visitors to Hong Kong has increased significantly in recent years, powerfully boosting the vitality of people’s livelihoods sectors like retail and dining. Transportation connectivity has likewise taken a quantum leap forward. Since the Beijing-Hong Kong and Shanghai-Hong Kong high-speed sleeper trains launched their convenient evening departure and morning arrival arrangement, they have carried an impressive number of passengers, efficiently connecting business and tourism corridors across the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, the Yangtze River Delta, and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. These policies have translated into revenue growth for businesses, career opportunities for talent, and travel convenience for ordinary people, providing a solid foundation for Hong Kong’s economic recovery and improvement in people’s livelihoods.
The HKSAR government’s cultivation of new quality productive forces has also helped Hong Kong move past the historical bottleneck of fragmented innovation and technology development, establishing a complete development ecosystem across the entire value chain. The government launched the Research, Academic and Industry Sectors One-plus Scheme (RAISe+) to better connect university research with business applications. It set up the Innovation and Technology Industry-Oriented Fund (ITIF) with HK$10 billion (around $1.3 billion) to draw in clusters of medium and large investment institutions. It also rolled out the New Industrialization Support Scheme (NISS) to support the establishment of smart production lines in Hong Kong. Through these combined policy efforts, Hong Kong has emerged as one of Asia’s premier biotech financing hubs. Numerous biotech companies have listed in Hong Kong and raised substantial capital, while also securing major partnership deals with leading international pharmaceutical companies. This year, the Low-altitude Economy Regulatory Sandbox officially launched, kicking off several pilot projects spanning logistics delivery, emergency rescue, and other application scenarios.
Though Hong Kong still needs to fill gaps in certain talent areas, it has overall advanced from isolated innovation to collaborative ecosystem building, with new quality productive forces serving as a fresh engine for economic growth.
Hong Kong stands as a powerful accelerator, backed by the mainland and connected to the world. The domestic support runs deep. Hong Kong is tightly woven into national development priorities and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao GBA, drawing strength from policy coordination and complementary research and industrial resources that create a solid foundation for international cooperation. The international reach is equally substantial. With its established financial systems, professional legal services, and global shipping networks, Hong Kong functions as a natural bridge linking China with the rest of the world.
In international cooperation, Hong Kong does not simply wait for opportunities. It actively creates them. Through exhibitions and forums, the city attracts companies from Southeast Asia, the Middle East and beyond, while simultaneously helping the mainland enterprises access those same markets. Hong Kong opens doors in infrastructure, energy, and digital technology, connecting mainland construction firms with Southeast Asian transportation projects and channeling financial support to Middle Eastern energy initiatives. The result is two-way empowerment, with Hong Kong serving as the bridge that benefits both sides.
Through the GBA’s development, Hong Kong has found its place in the larger national story. It participates in domestic circulation while facilitating international circulation, integrating ever more deeply into national development. The Hetao Shenzhen-Hong Kong Science and Technology Innovation Cooperation Zone now operates, moving research resources and talent across borders. The Northern Metropolis rises rapidly, forming an innovation community with Shenzhen. Companies continue flocking to Hong Kong in record numbers, using the city as their hub to help them expand globally, inject capital into the GBA, and cultivate professional talent. The synergies created are greater than the sum of their parts. Hong Kong is connecting, enabling, and multiplying opportunities on both sides.
The 14th Five-Year Plan has built a stage for Hong Kong, a stage for both policy support and leveraging strengths. From facilitating the movement of people to refining the innovation ecosystem, from developing emerging industries to advancing regional coordination, Hong Kong has overcome development challenges with the support from the central government and found a path that aligns with national strategies.
Looking ahead, Hong Kong will continue to unlock its potential during the 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026-2030) and beyond. It will play its role as a vital window for national opening up. It will connect the mainland with the world. It will bridge domestic circulation with international circulation. It will turn policy support into real opportunities and real growth.
The stage is set. The path is clear. The potential is immense. And Hong Kong stands ready.
