The launch of a public consultation on Hong Kong’s first five-year plan is as symbolic as it is pragmatic. It not only signals a commitment to aligning the city’s growth strategies with national goals beyond the new decade, but also engages the public in a meaningful dialogue in shaping a clear and comprehensive blueprint that hopefully can take the city to a new stage of development with dividends that truly benefit businesses and individuals at the city and national levels.

Hong Kong has traditionally relied on its existing strengths and versatility in adapting to external influences. That has served the city well. However, the global environment has become more challenging. Geopolitics is intensifying, competition is sharper and the pace of technological innovation is accelerating. In this context, a five-year plan matters as it enables the government and society to think critically and plan ahead. It creates a disciplined and focused framework for strategic priorities and delivery.

Spanning six parts covering finance and trade, innovation and technology, people’s livelihood and social development, the Northern Metropolis project, regional cooperation and the integrated development of sports, culture, tourism and green living, the consultation paper aims to better leverage Hong Kong’s advantages. These include its status as an international centre for finance, maritime and trade, as well as its roles as an international innovation and technology centre and a core engine in the Greater Bay Area, thus enabling the city to serve as a “participant” and “facilitator” in the nation’s development.

The consultation is especially important because the right blueprint cannot be drawn up in isolation. Along with a series of engagement activities, the two-month exercise taps the brains of different sectors in a bottom-up approach so the community can come together and plan for the future. It also comes as Xia Baolong, director of the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office, arrives for a two-day visit to inspect the alignment with the national development plan and the advancement of the Northern Metropolis.

Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu has said the city’s first five-year plan would enable policy continuity. “It ensures that policies will be continued regardless of change in government,” he said in a recent interview by the South China Morning Post. Commenting on the move in his blog on Sunday, Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po said the document would address the city’s shortcomings, improve residents’ lives and create better jobs for the people.

The policy directions set out in the paper for discussion will pave the way for more focused and strategic development that mutually benefits the city and the nation.