‘Especially meaningful’: John Lee on debuting 5-year plan with policy address

Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu has said his annual policy address will serve as a progress report on the city’s five-year plan, describing the first simultaneous consultation of the two documents as “especially meaningful”.In his first townhall meeting, held on Sunday as part of a public consultation exercise to gather feedback on Hong Kong’s first five-year plan and his fifth annual policy address, Lee pledged to consider residents’ views.The city leader met more than 130 residents at South Tuen Mun Government Secondary School in Tuen Mun. The session, attended by all ministers, aimed to solicit residents’ opinions for the two documents. Only residents and district representatives selected by the government were invited to the exchange.Lee said his annual policy address would serve as a progress report on the city’s five-year plan and described the simultaneous consultation for the two documents as “especially meaningful”.Lee highlighted that attendees came from diverse backgrounds, including grass-roots and working-class residents, members of the business community and ethnic minority groups, professionals, students and retirees.He added that Hong Kong’s first five-year blueprint would provide direction and strategic guidance for the city’s future development.“I have so far obtained a large amount of feedback on the five-year plan, and I hope all of you will feel free to say anything [on the subject] today,” he told the audience.