HONG KONG SAR - Media OutReach Newswire - 18 September 2026 - Hong Kong's Chief Executive, John Lee, took part in a radio phone-in programme this morning (September 18), fielding questions about 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, which were unveiled on Wednesday (September 16).
Quizzed on various aspects of the HKSAR Government's new blueprint for economic and social development, Mr Lee said the inaugural Five-Year Plan set out five main objectives for Hong Kong: better livelihoods for all; breakthroughs in economic development; expanding global competitiveness and influence; faster development of the Northern Metropolis; and to better serve the country.
On expanding global competitiveness, Mr Lee said the Government would make good use of its international networks.
"The strength of Hong Kong is its international status, and we have been emphasising on how we ensure the internationalism or the 'internationalness' of Hong Kong. We are expanding to cover every part of the world where we can reach," Mr Lee said, noting that the Government had offices, including Economic and Trade Offices, and the offices of Invest Hong Kong and the Hong Kong Trade Development Council, in countries around the world. "I'm very serious about expanding our network."
Since taking office four years ago, Mr Lee has led delegation visits to regions, including ASEAN Member States, the Middle East, and recently Central Asia. "And my colleagues really go more often to different parts of the world, so for South Africa, and also Kenya and these are the very popular African places that my colleagues go to visit," he added.
To boost Hong Kong's influence in overseas markets, Mr Lee highlighted the example of the International Organization for Mediation (IOMed).
"We are very proud to have the headquarters of IOMed set up in Hong Kong, because this is an organisation which is of United Nations status," Mr Lee said. He added that an international office would be set up in Hong Kong under the global network of corruption prevention authorities. "Hong Kong is an international city, which not just is very good at doing business, but is exercising its responsibility as a global participator, and also, we really can contribute."
"And this is also very important, because it just means how, in different areas, Hong Kong is doing very well, and also very connected to the world. And not just being a member, but being a contributor, being really a driver, and we want to share our good experiences, and also learn from other experiences."
The First Five-Year Plan and the 2026 Policy Address placed strong focus on speeding up the development of the Northern Metropolis (NM) project, so as to boost long-term economic development, improve people's livelihoods and help the city to further integrate into overall national development.
"The Northern Metropolis represents about one third of our geographical area. So it is a big piece of land that gives us new opportunities. An opportunity to upgrade ourselves, both from the accommodation angle as well as development angle," Mr Lee said.
Beyond the city's core economic strengths such as finance, shipping and trade, Mr Lee said the NM would provide room for diversifying local industries, creating new jobs and a brighter future as more development opportunities emerge from different kinds of industries as well as closer alignment with national development.
"The NM is actually mentioned in our country's 15th Five-Year Plan. That means it is not just a Hong Kong development, it has been elevated as a state-driven project. And with the elevation of position, we will have to work hard. And I am sure that the Central Government will also help us to ensure that this will be a success story.
"And so, doing the Five-Year Plan has this advantage. We will capitalise on all the opportunities that the state can give us. At the same time, we will remain very fully connected to the international world. So we have the beauty of both worlds."
Asked about Hong Kong's approach to adopting artificial intelligence (AI), Mr Lee stressed the need to take advantage of the opportunities brought by AI, while also protecting against the risks of AI, in areas such as crime, fraud, sexual abuse and potential negative impacts on younger people.
"Last year, we talk very much about how we should benefit from the application of AI, how it will do things faster, and how it will also do things more correctly," Mr Lee said.
"So while we develop and ensure people understand and use it, we also need to tell everybody the potential risks that it will bring."
Mr Lee said the Government would create a post of Commissioner for AI, with a mandate that he is "the chief for the whole government, in terms of AI. It means setting the policy. It means coordinating resources, identify problems for them, setting the best practices, issuing guidelines. And also, very importantly, is developing AI for the whole of government with a view to, after we have developed our experience, let the world also learn from these experiences."
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HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach Newswire – 18 September 2026 – The CICC 2026 GBA Wealth Management Forum was successfully held in Hong Kong on September 17, bringing together more than 400 representatives from across sectors. In proactive alignment with the 15th Five-Year Plan, the Forum featured discussions on Hong Kong's first Five-Year Plan, the development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, greater connectivity across financial markets, and the evolving wealth management ecosystem.
The Forum opened with welcome remarks from Mr. Wang Shuguang, Vice Chairman of the Board, President and Member of the Management Committee, CICC. He noted that this year marks both the beginning of the 15th Five-Year Plan and a pivotal year for the accelerated development of the Greater Bay Area. With the release of Hong Kong's first Five-Year significant progress in recent years, with its international business growing strongly. Looking ahead, CICC will continue to strengthen its buy-side investment advisory capabilities and expand its global asset allocation offering, as it works towards its vision of becoming a wealth investment bank and further advances the five major financial articles.
Dr. Miao Yanliang, CICC's Chief Economist delivered a keynote speech titled "Global Monetary Order Reset: Causes, Consequences, and Choices." He noted that the international monetary system is undergoing a gradual yet profound structural reset, as the long-standing consensus around U.S. Treasuries as safe assets weakens and global capital allocation becomes increasingly diversified and fragmented. Against this backdrop, RMB internationalization is entering an important window of opportunity. A deeper pool of RMB-denominated safe assets, greater use of the RMB in trade invoicing and settlement, and closer coordination between onshore and offshore markets could further strengthen its role in the international monetary system.
Presentations were delivered by Dr. Fang Zhou, Chief Research Officer, One Country Two Systems Research Institute; and Dr. Wang Jixian, Research Director, Belt & Road Hong Kong Centre. Focusing on the development of Hong Kong's Northern Metropolis, they examined its strategic role as a new engine for Hong Kong's future growth and highlighted the opportunities it could create through closer integration with the Greater Bay Area, as well as greater space for emerging industries and talent.
The Forum brought together nearly 30 speakers from financial institutions, leading companies, universities and other sectors for in-depth discussions on a wide range of topics, including global asset allocation, the revaluation of Chinese assets, the global expansion of Chinese companies, the capital narrative of the AI computing era, the next frontier in alternative investments, compliance and governance under new outbound investment regulations, as well as perspectives spanning wealth management and sports. Across keynote speeches, foresight dialogues, thematic presentations, strategic outlooks, panel discussions and fireside chats, speakers shared perspectives on macro trends and regulatory developments, alongside first-hand experience and practical insights from wealth management. The discussions offered participants both forward-looking perspectives and practical takeaways.
The Forum continued its commitment to green development by incorporating low-carbon practices throughout the event. It also placed a greater emphasis on AI, featuring innovative showcases including embodied intelligent robots, AIGC-generated videos and an interactive robotic matrix wall. These experiences brought the convergence of technology and finance to life, demonstrating how digital innovation can enhance the quality and efficiency of financial services.
Now in its fourth consecutive year, the CICC GBA Wealth Management Forum has become an important platform for understanding the evolving wealth management landscape in the Greater Bay Area and connecting with global resources. Held at a pivotal time following the release of Hong Kong's first Five-Year Plan and the introduction of the "15th Five-Year Plan for Building a Financial Powerhouse", the Forum leveraged wealth management as a bridge to help Hong Kong consolidate and enhance its status as an international financial centre, while supporting efforts to build a financial powerhouse. CICC will continue to build on the Greater Bay Area's strengths in innovation and openness, working with global partners to foster a more resilient and dynamic wealth management ecosystem and contribute to high-standard financial opening-up and high-quality development. Hashtag: #CICC
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About CICC
China International Capital Corporation Limited (CICC, 601995.SH, 3908.HK) was founded in 1995. Our experience in professional services includes leading several prominent transactions, reflecting our close involvement in China's economic reform and development. Our vision is to become a first-class investment bank with international competitiveness. Our extensive network and cross-border business practices have enabled us to offer high-quality, value-added financial services to a diversified client base. This includes a full-service and balanced business model that offers investment banking, equities, FICC (Fixed Income, Currencies and Commodities), asset management, private equity and wealth management services, all of which draw on our comprehensive research and technology capability. Headquartered in Beijing, the Group has over 200 securities business offices in China, and established subsidiaries or branches in places including Hong Kong SAR, New York, London, Singapore, Frankfurt, Tokyo, Ho Chi Minh City and Dubai. As an investment bank with Chinese roots and an international reach, we are committed to providing first-rate financial services to both our Chinese and global clients to help them achieve their goals.
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