Overview
- Lee will chair a new committee to expedite the Northern Metropolis, targeting a hub near Shenzhen that envisions housing about 2.5 million people and creating roughly 650,000 jobs, with dedicated legislation to speed approvals.
- Artificial intelligence is designated a core industry, with a 10‑hectare data‑center site to be tendered this year and a government‑backed AI R&D institute slated to launch next year, plus plans to use AI to improve public‑sector efficiency.
- A new two‑tier accountability system for senior civil servants responds to a recent procurement scandal, introducing investigations for systemic issues and potential penalties ranging from reprimands to dismissal.
- Hong Kong will court mainland enterprises through a dedicated task group and bolster its financial platform with planned gold storage facilities to support a regional reserve hub role.
- Education and talent measures include higher caps on international student intake from next academic year, new hostel sites for universities, and HK$40 million for overseas recruitment, as Lee reaffirms 2025 GDP growth of 2%–3% after an estimated 3.1% gain in Q2.