Legislators want HK to seize chances

Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor should map out policies in her policy address in October to materialize the opportunities brought by China's 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-25) and the development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, Hong Kong lawmakers said on Wednesday.

Their appeal came as lawmaker Chung Kwok-pan put forward a motion on fully seizing on national development opportunities to give play to Hong Kong's unique advantages.

Chung said that as a core city in the Bay Area, Hong Kong has been supported by the central government to enhance its competitive advantages and better integrate into the overall development of the nation.

To tie in with the nation's overall development, Chung said, relevant policies to boost Hong Kong's integration into the nation should be addressed in Lam's policy address on Oct 6.

Hong Kong Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Erick Tsang Kwok-wai said that the 14th Five-Year Plan highlighted the role of Hong Kong in taking the lead in the development and the internationalization of the Bay Area, reflecting the central government's faith in the city's advantages.

The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government attaches great importance to seizing opportunities offered by the national plan and will actively promote social participation in the construction of the Bay Area, Tsang said.

The 14th Five-Year Plan, the outline of which was approved by the National People's Congress in March, recognized Hong Kong's status as an international financial, transportation and trade center, and a center for international legal and dispute resolution services in the Asia-Pacific region.

For the first time, it also encouraged Hong Kong to develop as an international aviation hub, an international innovation and technology hub, a regional intellectual property trading center, and a hub for arts and cultural exchanges between China and the rest of the world.

Legislator Wong Ting-kwong, who represents the import and export sector in the Legislative Council, said the plan has provided a clear path for Hong Kong, which is that attracting talent is of paramount importance in achieving the goals set out for the city.

Wong urged the government to improve its schemes for attracting talent, saying the city's high cost of living acted as a disincentive.

Executive Councilor and lawmaker Jeffrey Lam Kin-fung said he hoped the SAR government would buttress the city's current standing, as called for by the national plan, and bring new impetus to its economy.

The Bay Area has great potential, said Lam, who represents the business sector, suggesting the setting up of quarantine-free passage for the sector in the Bay Area.

The Bay Area, with a market of over 80 million people, can be one of the growth engines for Hong Kong enterprises amid the pandemic, he said.

Transport sector lawmaker Frankie Yick Chi-ming said he was particularly hopeful about the prospects of strengthening Hong Kong's role as an international shipping and aviation hub.

Yick urged the government to roll out more tax incentives to attract more shipping and marine-related companies. He said Hong Kong should team up with Zhuhai and take advantage of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge and Zhuhai airport to fortify its status as an aviation hub.

William Xu contributed to this story.