Policy Address

Mr President, Honourable Members and fellow citizens,

I. Introduction

1.         Democratic development and economic progress in Hong Kong present a host of opportunities, but there are choices we have to make.  On constitutional development, we have to choose between implementing universal suffrage and a standstill; on the economy, between progress and stagnation; and on people's livelihood, between reforms and clinging to the status quo.

2.        Hong Kong is a society that upholds the rule of law.  Provided we act in accordance with the law, capitalise on our opportunities and make choices with courage, we will be able to pursue democracy, boost the economy and improve people's livelihood.

3.     On economic development, Hong Kong is blessed with the unique advantages of both "One Country" and "Two Systems".  As part of China, we benefit from the rapid development of and enjoy preferential treatments from our country; at the same time, we benefit from having a system that is different from other Mainland cities.  By capitalising on these advantages, not only can we expedite our growth, but we also continue to expand our existing lead industries and foster new industries to meet the development needs of the Mainland and abroad.  Through the diversification of our industries, we can create a more prosperous economy that provides our young people with the opportunity to put what they have learnt to good use and allow all to realise their potential.

4.        On constitutional development, by adhering strictly to the Basic Law and the Decision of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress on Issues Relating to the Selection of the Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region by Universal Suffrage and on the Method for Forming the Legislative Council of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region in the Year 2016, for the first time in Hong Kong's history, five million eligible voters will be able to select the Chief Executive by universal suffrage in 2017.  This is a big step forward for Hong Kong's democratic development.

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