Hong Kong Unveils Five-Year Plan to Strengthen Key Economic Centers

Hong Kong's Chief Executive John Lee unveiled the First Five-Year Plan for Economic and Social Development of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) (2026-2030) and his fifth Policy Address on September 16, 2026. The plan aims to strengthen Hong Kong's four key economic centers and enhance its status as an international financial, maritime, trade, and aviation hub.

Under the plan, Hong Kong will consolidate and enhance its status as an international financial center. The government will focus on developing an international asset and wealth management center, an international risk management center, and a global offshore Renminbi business and capital market. Hong Kong has already become the world's largest cross-boundary wealth management center this year, and the HKSAR Government will continue to develop a more attractive asset and wealth management ecosystem.

To support the development of the city's financial sector, Hong Kong will develop a commodity trading ecosystem with gold as an entry point. The central clearing and settlement system for gold will be officially launched in the first quarter of 2027. The government will also promote high value-added services, such as "Finance + Shipping," by leveraging the city's well-established maritime finance, insurance, and maritime arbitration under common law.

Hong Kong's status as an international trade center is also a key focus. The city was ranked the world's fifth-largest entity in merchandise trade in 2025. The HKSAR Government announced plans to consolidate and enhance Hong Kong's status as an international trade center, playing a greater role in the high-level opening up of the Chinese Mainland. Since the establishment of the Task Force on Supporting Mainland Enterprises in Going Global last October, it has provided assistance to more than 340 Mainland enterprises, including listing and raising capital in Hong Kong, aligning with overseas standards, acquiring industry certifications, and fulfilling compliance requirements.

In the aviation sector, Hong Kong's passenger throughput recorded a year-on-year increase of 15% last year, reaching 61 million, with flights to over 220 destinations. The city's air cargo throughput reached 5.07 million tonnes, making its airport the world's busiest cargo airport for the 15th year since 2010. To strengthen development as an international aviation hub, Hong Kong will expand its aviation network and diversify business opportunities. The government will continue to take the initiative to visit South America, Africa, Central Asia, the Middle East, and the Caucasus to expedite the conclusion of new air services agreements and the expansion of traffic rights.

Hong Kong will also build itself as an international innovation and technology center. The government will step up efforts to promote artificial intelligence (AI) applications across various trades, while continuing to strike a balance between encouraging innovation and protecting security. In alignment with the national strategic technology areas, Hong Kong will focus on core technologies such as life and health, AI and robotics, microelectronics, new energy, advanced manufacturing, and new materials. The government aims to raise the ratio of Total Domestic Expenditure on Innovation Activities to Gross Domestic Product to 3% after 2030.

The significance of the First Five-Year Plan for Hong Kong lies in its mindset shift. The city must plan its financial development with a longer-term vision and broader perspective to adapt with flexibility and diversity. Each of the initiatives centers around one objective: to elevate Hong Kong from a "corridor of capital" to a "destination of choice."