Hong Kong must integrate spirit of China’s third plenum into ‘everyday affairs’: John Lee

Lee made the remarks after joining a high-level, closed-door briefing on the third plenum led by Shen Chunyao, chairman of the legislative affairs commission of the National People’s Congress (NPC) Standing Committee.

Shen also chairs the Hong Kong Basic Law Committee.

City leader Lee told the media after the morning meeting that Hong Kong should familiarise itself with the “spirit” of the plenum and promote reform with a new mindset, adding that the financial hub still played “an irreplaceable and important role” in the country’s reform and opening up.

The city also needed to ensure that “everyday affairs” aligned with key takeaways from the third plenary session, he added.

“As the world undergoes major changes unprecedented in a century, the country’s development has entered a critical period where strategic opportunities, risks and challenges coexist,” Lee said.

“We must be proactive, pragmatic and responsible, actively recognise and adapt to changes, and take the promotion of further reform as our own responsibility.

“I have also instructed Hong Kong government officials to take a deep look into the spirit of the third plenary session … to thoroughly implement it and integrate it into their daily work.”

Asked about measures to leverage Hong Kong’s role as an aspiring high-end global talent hub, Lee hailed efforts by the local government to attract overseas professionals.

He said Hong Kong’s various dedicated schemes had garnered 340,000 applications from talent “wanted by the world”, with more than 140,000 successful candidates having already arrived in the city.

Zheng Yanxiong, director of Beijing’s liaison office in Hong Kong, also attended the meeting.

Shen will chair another explanatory session in the afternoon, which will be held at the Convention and Exhibition Centre in Wan Chai and be broadcast live on television.