HKSAR chief executive highlights housing, economy, livelihood in policy address

HONG KONG -- Chief Executive of China's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Carrie Lam delivered her policy address on Wednesday, highlighting housing, economy, people's livelihood and young people's development.

It was Lam's second policy address since she was sworn in on July 1, 2017.

Lam said, titled Striving Ahead Rekindling Hope, this policy address comprehensively covers areas including good governance, housing and land, diversified economy, nurturing talent, improving people's livelihood, liveable city and connecting with young people.

The chief executive proposed a total ban on electronic cigarettes for protecting people's health, particularly children and teenagers; actively promote primary healthcare services, and provide further resources for research and development to enhance HKSAR's research capability for supporting HKSAR's development into an international I&T center.

In Lam's policy address, housing and land supply is treated as a stand-alone chapter, demonstrating HKSAR government's determination to solve the housing problem. Measures tackling it include developing land resources and increasing the ratio of public housing.

Lam noted that in the first half of this year, the HKSAR economy grew strongly by 4 percent in real terms over the previous year, riding on the broadly positive global economic environment.

The HKSAR government will act proactively, strengthen its roles in serving as "facilitator" and "promoter," and seize the opportunities brought by the Belt and Road Initiative and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area development, with a view to generating new impetus for HKSAR's economy.

Lam stressed that the policy address was built on the HKSAR's unique strengths under "one country, two systems" and combined with the current-term HKSAR government's unflagging efforts since assuming office on July 1, 2017.

"This policy address carries my unswerving determination in leading Hong Kong to strive forward. While there are many words, they serve just one purpose: rekindling hope for Hong Kong," she said.