HK and Macao eye boost from nation's growth

As they prepared to depart for Beijing to attend the two sessions, national lawmakers and political advisers from the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions said on Monday that they are eager to learn more about the progress of China's development and further advance the SARs' integration into national development.

The National People's Congress, the national legislature, has 36 deputies from Hong Kong and 12 from Macao, while the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, the country's top political advisory body, has over 180 members from Hong Kong and 38 from Macao.

Speaking to reporters at the Hong Kong International Airport, Starry Lee Wai-king, a member of the NPC Standing Committee, noted that this year marks the end of China's 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-25), which outlined key goals for strengthening Hong Kong's status as an international center.

China's annual political meetings provide a good opportunity for reviewing the city's contributions to national development and also offer a platform for putting forward constructive suggestions for the next five-year plan, she said.

Lee said she is looking forward to hearing the Government Work Report to be delivered by Premier Li Qiang during the two sessions. The report summarizes the work done in the previous year and outlines the vision behind the path to Chinese modernization in the coming year.

Expressing her confidence in the country's ability to drive economic growth, Lee said she believes the central government will introduce more policies to stimulate private enterprises' investment on the Chinese mainland and in Hong Kong.

NPC deputy Ronick Chan Chun-ying, who is also a Hong Kong lawmaker representing the finance sector, said he is keen to hear the Government Work Report, as it will provide insights into the nation's economic growth engines and pace.

Chan said he expects to see additional policy instruments introduced in order to drive domestic demand, which in turn would provide momentum for sustainable GDP growth.

Jimmy Ng Wing-ka, also an NPC deputy from Hong Kong, said he is interested in learning about how the country will utilize artificial intelligence and other technologies to accelerate industrial upgrade.

Many of the Hong Kong representatives attending the two sessions share a keen interest in the development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, a cluster of 11 cities with Hong Kong as one of its core cities.

National lawmaker Maggie Chan Man-ki emphasized the need to boost talent exchanges in the Greater Bay Area, while Shiu Ka-fai, a member of the CPPCC National Committee from Hong Kong, expressed the hope for new measures to bolster the tourism industry in the area.

Before boarding a flight to Beijing on Monday, Ho Sut-heng, an NPC deputy from Macao, said she is confident in the country's high-quality development.

Ho said that during the NPC session, she will focus on new policies that would further advance the development of the Guangdong-Macao In-depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin, which is a vital platform for expanding Macao's economic diversification and facilitating its integration into national development.

Vong Kam-fai, also an NPC deputy from Macao, said he will delve into issues such as Macao's role in the Greater Bay Area's development and on how to leverage the city's connections with Portuguese-speaking economies to fuel the country's growth.

williamxu@chinadailyhk.com