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Beijing’s liaison office in Hong Kong has pledged to support the city’s integration into national development plans while stressing the importance of studying and applying the “spirit” of the country’s recent political leadership meeting, which will shape policymaking over the next five years. The head of the central government’s liaison office, Zhou Ji, conveyed on Saturday the guiding ideology of the fourth plenary session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and laid out the work requirements for the city. The plenary session concluded on Thursday. The meeting, which was attended by the heads of various departments of the office and representatives of other Beijing’s arms in Hong Kong, stressed that studying and implementing the spirit of the fourth plenum was “a major political task for the office at present and in the future”, the liaison’s office said on its website. It also pointed out that the “15th five-year plan”, which covers the years from 2026 to 2030, is a critical period for promoting high-quality economic and social development in Hong Kong and playing a better role in building a strong country and national rejuvenation. “We must accurately grasp the historic opportunities brought to Hong Kong by national development, support Hong Kong in better integrating into and serving the overall national development,” it said. “We must also better fulfil the important mission of implementing ‘one country, two systems’ in the new era during the 15th five-year plan period.” In a communique issued following the conclusion of the fourth plenum, the Central Committee called for “further deepening reforms across the board” while continuing to improve people’s living standards. The 5,000-word document offered a view of the committee’s outlook, underscoring its determination to double down on technological advancements, security and self-reliance to fend off headwinds.
