Hong Kong crowds brave the heat to secure spots for National Day fireworks

On October 1, 2026, Hong Kong's Chief Executive John Lee commemorated the 77th anniversary of China's founding by highlighting the city's inaugural Five-Year Plan. At a ceremony in Wan Chai, Lee remarked on China's remarkable transformation into the world's leading manufacturer, stating that the Five-Year Plan serves as a strategic roadmap to leverage Hong Kong's unique advantages under the "one country, two systems" principle.

The plan aims to capitalize on China's rapid technological advancements and geopolitical landscape, promising the city swift access to opportunities for development, Lee said, according to the government press release. Lee expressed confidence that, with collective effort, Hong Kong would continue to thrive and prosper. National Day celebrations took place in Wan Chai, attended by Beijing's liaison office director Zhou Ji and former chief executives Donald Tsang, Leung Chun-ying, and Carrie Lam, among other top officials.

The Five-Year Plan includes 22 anticipatory or binding indicators, aligning with Beijing's evaluation framework. Among these, the government sets targets for increasing the ratio of domestic expenditure on innovation to GDP from 1.63 percent in 2024 to three percent after 2030, and for boosting the tourism industry's value added by 40 to 50 percent.

The plan also outlines goals for higher university diversity, medical staff-to-population ratio, and environmental standards, aiming to raise zero-carbon energy's share in electricity generation from 25 percent in 2024 to 30 percent by 2030, and to reduce PM2.5 concentrations from 15 micrograms per cubic meter to below 14. The plan also earmarks the Northern Metropolis tech hub, envisioning the transformation of Hong Kong's border areas near Shenzhen into a 30,000-hectare development zone.