Policy Address

4. Under the "One Country, Two Systems", Hong Kong has the distinctive advantages of enjoying strong support of the Motherland and being closely connected to the world. Having direct access to the huge Mainland market and strong international connectivity at the same time, Hong Kong serves as a bridge linking the Mainland and the rest of the world. Key national strategies including the 14th Five-Year Plan, the development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA), and the Belt and Road Initiative provide Hong Kong with unlimited opportunities.

5. This year, the greatest encouragement was brought to us by President Xi Jinping's visit to Hong Kong to attend the meeting celebrating the 25th anniversary of Hong Kong's return to the Motherland and the inaugural ceremony of the sixth-term Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), where he delivered an important speech. President Xi put forward "four musts" and "four proposals" and said that "Hong Kong will prosper only when its young people thrive". This has reinforced the confidence of all sectors of the community in our future development. I am grateful to President Xi for his important speech, which now serves as my governance blueprint. Hong Kong has achieved a major transition from chaos to order, and is now at the crucial stage of advancing from stability to prosperity. In the next five years, I will lead the government team to unite and motivate all sectors of the community, and give full play to our fine traditions of inclusiveness, unity and respect for different viewpoints. We will make our best endeavour, all for better serving our people and better developing Hong Kong, so that the Pearl of the Orient will shine brighter than ever.

6. This is a Policy Address for Hong Kong citizens. I will now outline my governing beliefs, visions and policy initiatives. Let us start a new chapter together for Hong Kong.