John Lee’s next policy address is around the corner. What can Hongkongers expect?
City leader juggling sluggish economy, demands for jobs and housing, all while working to meet Beijing’s expectations. Can he do it all?
The spotlight will be on Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu on Wednesday, with his fourth annual policy address expected to boost a sluggish economy, battle deep-rooted livelihood issues and win Beijing’s approval all in one go.
Just one day before Lee’s policy blueprint is unveiled, the Post shares what it has learned about his planned direction for the city.
1. All go with Northern Metropolis
An anticipated highlight of the policy address will be measures aimed at speeding up the progress of a 30,000-hectare (74,100-acre) megaproject along the city’s shared border with mainland China.
The Northern Metropolis is a government effort to diversify the economy and bolster the city’s innovation and technology (I&T) sector.
The megaproject is also a test of execution and governance for Lee’s administration, with Beijing eager for development to be accelerated.
The Post learned that Lee planned to offer legal and administrative-based solutions, such as adopting mainland construction standards, setting up a company to attract industries more efficiently and streamlining the decision-making process for development applications.