John Lee hears housing and talent concerns in Kowloon
HK01 · 4 SOURCES25 minutes ago2 MIN
Summary
Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu led principal officials at the second district consultation on Hong Kong’s first five-year plan and the 2026 Policy Address, held at Kowloon Tong Government Primary School on August 9. Around 120 participants raised concerns ranging from youth housing and fertility to talent policy, artificial intelligence, tourism and cultural branding.
Key Points
- Lee said the consultation was especially significant because it was Hong Kong’s first held during the formulation of a five-year plan, and he wanted views on improving governance, development and livelihoods .
- The roughly two-hour session in Kowloon Tong drew about 120 participants, including grassroots residents, retirees, students and ethnic minorities, with Chief Secretary Eric Chan Kwok-ki and Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po among attending officials .
- On youth home ownership, Lee said public rental housing applicants had fallen from a peak of 150,000 to about 100,000, which he linked to expanded public and subsidised housing supply and better unit turnover .
- Responding to concerns over falling births and shrinking labour supply, Lee said talent policy would remain demand-driven and the government would publish studies on talent and overall manpower needs within this year .
- Participants also urged stronger support for tourism, cultural intellectual property, AI adoption and overseas expansion for small and medium-sized enterprises, while Lee said the government would back cultural and creative industries through funding, venues and policy support .
Why It Matters
The consultation shows the government is trying to align the next Policy Address with a longer-term planning framework, while testing whether headline policies on housing, talent and industry are convincing to the public . The discussion also points to where pressure will fall on the administration before it finalises the five-year plan and annual policy agenda, especially on youth mobility, labour supply and economic upgrading .