Carrie Lam: Hong Kong is confident and confident to better integrate into the overall development of the country
Xinhua News Agency, Hong Kong, September 13th. The "14th Five-Year Plan" is bringing historic opportunities to Hong Kong.
On the 13th, Carrie Lam, the Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, accepted a joint interview with the media and shared his views on how Hong Kong will implement the "14th Five-Year Plan", integrate into the Greater Bay Area, and make good use of the "Qianhai Plan".
In her vision, Hong Kong needs to understand the national plan, locate it accurately, and while continuously improving and consolidating its own advantages, Hong Kong needs to better integrate into the overall situation of national development.
Understand national planning and make good use of national support
Carrie Lam said frankly that in the past period of time, Hong Kong's economic development was not actually an economic issue, but a political issue.
"Now we have a very good bureau." She said that the implementation of the Hong Kong National Security Law and the improvement of Hong Kong's election system, Hong Kong ushered in the "14th Five-Year Plan" outline and Qianhai expansion plan, Hong Kong's future development will definitely be very good.
How to seize the opportunity to better integrate Hong Kong into the overall development of the country?
Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor replied that it is necessary to understand the country's planning to see Hong Kong's positioning.
From August 23rd to 25th, a national "14th Five-Year Plan" propaganda mission composed of the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council, the National Development and Reform Commission, the Ministry of Science and Technology, the People's Bank of China and other relevant departments visited Hong Kong.
"All walks of life in Hong Kong have a deeper understanding of the 14th Five-Year Plan." She said that now that we understand the country's plan, we must make good use of the state's support for us.
The "14th Five-Year Plan" has set up special chapters to support Hong Kong in consolidating and enhancing its competitive advantages from multiple areas and supporting Hong Kong's integration into the overall development of the country.
According to Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor, although a special chapter for Hong Kong and Macao has been established since the national "Twelfth Five-Year Plan" outline, the "14th Five-Year Plan" chapter has the richest content and the greatest support for Hong Kong.
"At the same time, it also clarified the requirements for the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region." She pointed out that in order for Hong Kong to integrate into the overall situation of national development, it must adhere to "one country, two systems", safeguard national security, enhance Hong Kong people's understanding of the Constitution and the Basic Law, and enhance the national awareness and awareness of Hong Kong compatriots. Patriotic.
"Hong Kong's biggest advantage is'one country, two systems'." Carrie Lam said, "We are sure and confident that we can better integrate into the overall development of the country in the future."
Hong Kong needs long-term planning
Carrie Lam believes that Hong Kong's current planning should be carried out from a relatively long-term perspective.
She said that in the past, the reason why Hong Kong could not take a long view was that the political environment was too bad and the government had to do something. I wonder if it will encounter "rabbits" in the Legislative Council.
Now that Hong Kong’s electoral system has been improved, “it is conceivable that the future legislature will be more rational, balanced, and broadly representative. This is very beneficial to strengthening the executive-led political system.” Carrie Lam said.
She said that a lot of work can't just look at 5 to 10 years. The SAR government will design the development of the next 10 or 20 years in accordance with the positioning of Hong Kong in the 14th Five-Year Plan, and also hope to meet the country's requirements for Hong Kong.
The "14th Five-Year Plan" outline will continue to support Hong Kong in improving its status as an international financial, shipping, and trade center; strengthen Hong Kong as a global offshore RMB business hub, international asset management center and risk management center; support Hong Kong in building international legal and dispute resolution services in the Asia-Pacific region Center; support the development of Hong Kong's service industry towards high-end and high-value-added services.
In addition, the "14th Five-Year Plan" outline includes support for Hong Kong's promotion of its status as an international aviation hub, support for Hong Kong's construction of an international innovation and technology center and a regional intellectual property trading center, and support for Hong Kong's development of a Sino-foreign cultural and artistic exchange center.
Carrie Lam pointed out that making good use of the position of an international financial center is in line with the country's further reform and opening up in the capital market.
Given the country's ambitious goal of reducing carbon emissions, how to play Hong Kong's role in green finance is also worthy of consideration. "I hope that Hong Kong's future planning can be more long-term."
As for Hong Kong's status as an international financial center, Carrie Lam said bluntly that she "definitely has confidence."
"We are not afraid of being discredited by others." She said, "We have to look at the facts. Many overseas financial institutions still have full confidence in Hong Kong and hope to have a'share of the pie' in Hong Kong's future financial development. We have seen many financial institutions. Already planning to expand business in Hong Kong."
In the coming period, the Legislative Council of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and the Special Administrative Region Government will face a change of term, and whether the policy can maintain continuity has also become the focus.
In this regard, Carrie Lam is not worried.
"As long as it is a good policy, as long as it is a policy of doing things for the people, no matter which government has to implement, this is my belief." She said.
Open up policy mechanisms and further integrate into the Greater Bay Area
"To integrate into the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, the most important element is the flow of people, logistics, capital, and information. Therefore, policies and mechanisms are very important." Thoughts.
"In terms of technological innovation in the future, we will mainly join hands with Shenzhen. Now we have a good start. Shenzhen and Hong Kong have joined forces to build a'one district and two parks' with'one river and two banks'. With the cooperation with Shenzhen, Hong Kong's future Technological innovation is promising," said Carrie Lam.
In terms of the flow of people, Hong Kong and Shenzhen already have very good cross-border ports.
Carrie Lam believes that the flow of people will be smoother in the future, depending on whether a more innovative model can be adopted for customs clearance.
Since Hong Kong people find it very convenient to "single place, two inspections", the optimization and upgrading of Hong Kong-Shenzhen ports are all aimed at "single place, two inspections". On top of this, it is necessary to study whether there is a more convenient mode of customs clearance.
In terms of logistics, Carrie Lam introduced that after the opening of the Liantang/Xiangyuanwei port in August last year, it has now been able to achieve the layout of "east in and east out, west in and west out".
On September 10, Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao simultaneously issued the "Implementation Rules for the Pilot Project of "Cross-border Wealth Management" in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area", and the "Cross-border Wealth Management" business pilot was officially launched.
"Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area'Cross-border Wealth Management' is a good example of financial interconnection." Carrie Lam said.
Do "Four Links" in Qianhai
On September 6, the "Comprehensive Deepening of the Reform and Opening Plan of Qianhai Shenzhen-Hong Kong Modern Service Industry Cooperation Zone" was announced.
In Carrie Lam’s view, the "Qianhai Plan" is too important to Hong Kong, which will bring unlimited opportunities for Hong Kong. "More innovative capabilities and more breakthrough opportunities". Hong Kong can do more with Qianhai's platform. better.
What is more meaningful is that the expansion of the Qianhai area can enhance the centripetal force of the Hong Kong compatriots towards the motherland.
"This is really very important, because whether we are integrating into the overall national development situation or strengthening ties with cities in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, we must make Hong Kong citizens, especially young people, feel that they are a Chinese and have a sense of the country. , Is willing to go to the mainland to develop." Carrie Lam said.
How to properly connect Hong Kong and Qianhai?
"Four links" is the answer given by Carrie Lam: infrastructure must be connected, policies must be connected, mechanisms must be interconnected, and people's hearts must be connected.
"The expansion of Qianhai can enhance the centripetal force of Hong Kong compatriots. To enable Hong Kong compatriots to have a better national awareness and patriotism, we will integrate into the country and develop more smoothly. This is our common goal." She emphasized.
Tell the story of Shenzhen-Hong Kong New Twin Cities
How to do a good job in the cooperation between Hong Kong and Shenzhen, including Qianhai, Carrie Lam proposed the "four new", that is, innovation in space, innovation in concepts, innovation in policies, and innovation in mechanisms.
In Carrie Lam’s feelings, the relationship between Hong Kong and Shenzhen is a unique twin-city story, "and the twin-city story will last forever. It will find a new cooperative positioning under the overall national plan following the development of the two places. , Now we are at this moment".
She said that the main elements of the new two-city story are also the flow of people, logistics, and capital.
Carrie Lam emphasized that Qianhai relies on Hong Kong, serves the mainland and faces the world. It is also a key area for Shenzhen to build a pilot demonstration zone for socialism with Chinese characteristics.
"I hope that the future cooperation between Hong Kong and Shenzhen and between Hong Kong and Qianhai will be developed with more innovative thinking."