【明報專訊】HONG KONG'S first "Five-Year Plan" is expected to be announced by the end of the year, and the government aims to launch a public consultation within this quarter. The five-year plan is the key to Hong Kong's integration with China's "15th Five-Year Plan". Its top-level design falls under the government's domain, but at the same time, the authorities must also seek public input. The plan should not be a mere patchwork of repackaged old policies and blueprints. The authorities must adopt China's strategic perspective and demonstrate how Hong Kong can develop alongside the nation, become one of the most influential hubs in the new global order, and chart a feasible course of action to drive structural reform.According to an earlier statement by the SAR government, the consultation will focus on six major areas: finance and trade; innovation and technology (I&T) and industrial upgrading; land, housing, and advancing the Northern Metropolis project; regional cooperation (including integration into the Greater Bay Area and strengthening international collaborations); social and livelihood development; and culture, sports, tourism, and green living.Yesterday (21 April), Chief Executive John Lee stated that the plan will clearly set out the strategic directions and goals for Hong Kong's socio-economic development in the next five years to ensure the effective allocation of resources. This will not only help the city better integrate into and serve the nation's overall development, but also improve public welfare. Formulating a five-year plan is just the right opportunity for Hong Kong to consider, from a macro-strategic perspective, how it can map out its future alongside China, instead of relying on short-term policymaking approaches.Although Hong Kong is a small economy susceptible to external influences, its long-term development planning will find crucial support as long as its five-year plan is closely aligned with the nation's 15th Five-Year Plan -- due to the high consistency and stability of the latter. It will also reduce the chances of major policy reversals resulting from government transitions.The first step to the country's second "centenary goal" -- to forge a fully modern socialist powerhouse by the mid-21st century -- is to reach socialist modernisation by 2035, and the 15th Five-Year Plan is paving the way exactly for this goal. Once China largely achieves modernisation, it will certainly become another central player in the global economy beyond the West. In drafting its first five-year plan in tandem with the 15th Five-Year Plan, Hong Kong must consider how to leverage its own strengths to meet the country's needs and affirm the positions of both the nation and itself in the emerging world order.Hong Kong's five-year plan should not be an all-encompassing wish list. For certain key areas, it must present a "clear and feasible" vision. Whether to include Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) should depend on specific needs. Ultimately, the plan's focus should be on facilitating structural transformation and improvements.A common problem in Hong Kong's development planning is that different government departments operate in silos. Major issues essential to Hong Kong's long-term development, such as population ageing and the green transition, should be covered in the five-year plan, but the authorities must avoid tackling each challenge separately. Aside from focusing on economic issues like finance and I&T, the plan must also address the long-term development of people's livelihoods. Officials must ensure that the consultation process is effective so that the five-year plan resonates with the public.明報社評 2026.04.22：「五年規劃」促結構改革 做好諮詢讓市民有感香港首份「五年規劃」料於年底公布，政府正爭取本季內展開公眾諮詢。「五年規劃」是對接國家「十五五」規劃的鑰匙，頂層設計是政府責任，與此同時，當局亦須問計於民。「五年規劃」不應是炒雜錦，僅將過往一些綱領藍圖改頭換面。當局須從國家戰略高度，說明香港可怎樣跟國家一起發展，成為世界新格局下其中一個最具影響力的樞紐，並為此提出切實可行的路徑，推動結構性的改革。根據特區政府早前說法，當局將就六大範疇作專題諮詢，包括金融貿易、創新科技及產業升級、土地房屋及加快發展北都、區域合作（包括融入大灣區及深化國際合作）、社會民生發展，以及文體旅和綠色生活。特首李家超昨表示，「五年規劃」將清晰說明未來5年香港經濟社會發展的策略方向和目標，讓資源有效地用到實處，除了有助香港更好融入和服務國家發展大局，亦可提升市民福祉。制訂「五年規劃」正是一個機會思考香港應如何從宏觀戰略角度，跟國家一起謀劃未來，而不是繼續沿用一貫的短期施政思維。香港雖是小型經濟體，易受外圍影響，但只要香港的「五年規劃」與國家「十五五」對接緊扣，後者的高度連貫性及穩定性，對香港長遠發展規劃將起到重要支撐作用，亦可減少因為政府換屆而導致發展方向大改的機率。國家第二個「百年目標」（本世紀中葉成為社會主義現代化強國），第一步是2035年基本實現社會主義現代化，「十五五」正是為此鋪墊。中國基本實現現代化，屆時必將在世界經濟體系中，成為西方以外的另一中心。香港制訂首個「五年規劃」對接「十五五」，必須思考香港應該怎樣發揮自身所長，貢獻國家所需，彰顯國家及香港在世界新格局中的位置。香港「五年規劃」不應該是一堆包羅萬有的願望清單，對於一些重點領域，有必要提出「清晰兼可行」的願景，至於是否要列出關鍵績效指標（KPI），則應視乎具體需要，規劃重點應放在推動結構性的轉變和提升。香港發展規劃常見的一個問題，是不同部門各自為政。人口老化、綠色轉型等課題，皆是香港長遠發展需要處理的重大課題，「五年規劃」應該觸及，但當局必須避免碎片化處理。規劃除了聚焦金融、創科等經濟課題，亦要處理民生長遠發展。政府須努力做好諮詢工作，令市民對「五年規劃」有感。/ Glossary生字 /patchwork：a thing that is made up of many different pieces or partssusceptible：very likely to be influenced, harmed or affected by sthsilo：system, process, department, etc that operates separately or is thought of as separate from others