2020 Policy Address: Live Blog

13:27

Chief Executive Carrie Lam has concluded her fourth policy address by pledging to double government efforts to bring the Covid-19 epidemic under control, revive the economy, and restore social order.

Lam said her administration will seek to ‘relaunch’ Hong Kong, rebuild its international reputation, and restore people’s confidence in the government.

She said her 24,000-word policy address “manifests the Central Government’s staunch support for the HKSAR and embraces my determination to strive for the best for Hong Kong with my team.”

“As long as we stay true to our aspiration in implementing ‘One Country, Two Systems’, safeguard national sovereignty, security and development interests, maintain our confidence in Hong Kong, refrain from politicising matters, maintain communication in a rational manner and seek common ground while putting aside differences, we will surely be able to deal with the problems that arise in the course of implementing “One Country, Two Systems” and address some deep-seated conflicts in Hong Kong.”

That concludes our live blog of the policy address. Thanks for reading.

13:24

The Chief Executive Carrie Lam has urged Hong Kong youth to look north to “broaden the scope for realizing their dreams”, announcing the launch of a new employment scheme to encourage companies that operate both here and on the mainland to recruit local talent to work across the border.

The scheme will provide 2,000 jobs, Lam said, some of which are in the innovation and technology sector.

She warned that Hong Kong may not be the best place for its young people, saying the youth unemployment rate may remain in the double-digits “for some time.”

“On the other hand, with a population of 70 million and huge development potential, the GBA can provide career development opportunities for our young people,” she said.

She also said the recent social unrest, Covid pandemic and prolonged class suspension over the past year have hit young people hard.

“Some feel confused and helpless about their future and the way society is developing,” she said.

13:23

Carrie Lam says social unrest in the city last year have led many to question the effectiveness of local education, pointing out many of those arrested during anti-government protests were students.

“We cannot bear to see that with the infiltration of politics into school campuses, students are drawn into political turbulence or even misled to engage in illegal and violent acts,” she said.

The Chief Executive said there’s a need to nurture national identity among young people, and the Education Bureau will work to enhance an understanding of the country, and ‘One Country, Two Systems’ among primary and secondary students.

Teachers will be tasked to educate students about the importance of national security, and guide their pupils “to respect and preserve the dignity of the national flag and the national anthem”.

Lam said the government will take a more active role in teachers’ training and management, and that the Education Bureau is ready to disqualify teachers who are incompetent or found misconducted.

13:11

Carrie Lam says commuters will continue to benefit from more generous transport subsidies for another six months.

The government had earlier halved the threshold for its Public Transport Fare Subsidy Scheme from HK$400 to HK$200 – meaning people who spend over HK$200 on public transport can receive up to HK$400 back, or a third of their additional expenses beyond that threshold, every month.

This arrangement will be extended to the end of June in 2021, benefiting an estimated 3.8 million commuters.

She added that the MTRC has also decided to extend its 20 percent fare discount for another three months until March.

The scheme was originally due to cease at the end of the year.

13:08

Carrie Lam has announced that the government will provide wage subsidies for locals who work in tech firms across the border in the Greater Bay Area.

"The Government will provide wage subsidies for Hong Kong technology companies to hire employees to work and gain experience in the Mainland cities of the GBA," she said, without giving more details.

12:56

Chief Executive Carrie Lam has set a new target for Hong Kong to become carbon-neutral by 2050 – saying the territory’s climate action plan will be changed accordingly in the middle of next year.

In her policy address, Lam said the government will strive to achieve this goal through a variety of means – including exploring new environmentally-friendly technology, enhancing the energy efficiency of buildings, promoting zero-carbon vehicles and building large-scale waste-to-energy facilities.

More stringent energy efficiency standards would also need to be set, and green finance would be pursued to “build a low-carbon economy which is more resilient to climate change.”

“We also need to enlist the full support of various sectors in society to adopt low-carbon lifestyles and economic transformation,” Lam said, as she appealed for all sectors to work together to achieve carbon neutrality within three decades.

12:45

Carrie Lam has revealed in her policy address that the historic landmark, Jumbo Floating Restaurant, has been donated to Ocean Park.

She said the government will help the theme park work with NGOs to run the restaurant in the Aberdeen Typhoon Shelter on a non-profit-making basis.

That is among a number of measures Lam announced to develop the Southern District, including a broader proposal for “the rebirth of Ocean Park”, and plans to promote cultural and leisure facilities in Aberdeen as well as new marine tourism routes there.

12:42

Chief Executive Carrie Lam says the government’s efforts to source land for housing development is bearing fruit.

She says the pandemic has led to a decline in construction costs and an increase in manpower supply.

“This is an excellent opportunity to move ahead with land creation and housing construction. With adequate supply, it is believed that property prices will become stable gradually,” Lam said.

But at the same time, Lam said the longer-term housing needs of Hong Kong people cannot be fully met yet, stressing that her “Lantau Tomorrow Vision” – involving the reclamation of around 1,000 hectares of land east of Lantau should not be subject to any further delay.

“The concept of reclamation in East Lantau has been explored and discussed by the community for almost a decade,” she noted.

“If we all act in an objective and fair manner with the long-term interests of Hong Kong in mind, we will understand that reclamation for developing artificial islands in the Central Waters under the Lantau Tomorrow Vision has a number of advantages.”

She said these include not just creating more land, but “optimising” Hong Kong’s transport network, relieving traffic congestion, and even addressing environmental issues by using public fill instead of sending it overseas for reclamation.

“In terms of financing, the project is practicable and will bring enormous economic benefits to Hong Kong,” Lam said.

12:28

Carrie Lam has declared that the government has identified all 330 hectares of land needed to cater to Hong Kong’s public housing needs over the next decade, to 2031.

She said 316,000 public housing units could be built on this land, which mainly comes from “reclamation in Tung Chung, the agricultural land and brownfield sites in New Development Areas such as Kwu Tung North/Fanling North and Hung Shui Kiu/Ha Tsuen, a number of sites which have been rezoned for public housing development, re-allocation of nine sites at Kai Tak and Anderson Road Quarry for public housing development, partial development of the Fanling Golf Course and a number of brownfield clusters with housing development potential, the review of which has already been completed.”

She said in her policy address on Wednesday that the Transport and Housing Bureau is about to publish its new progress report on the government’s Long Term Housing Strategy (LTHS).

In particular, Lam said plans to redevelop Shek Lei Interim Housing will be completed in 2028 and will provide about 1,600 units.

She added that three out of six factory estates identified in last year’s Policy Address are found to be suitable for public housing development, and between them be able to provide over 3,000 units by 2031.

A Tai Hang Sai Estate redevelopment plan will also provide over 3,300 units upon completion, she said.

Lam added the government will implement a pilot scheme to subsidise NGOs to rent rooms in hotels and guesthouses with relatively low occupancy rates for use as transitional housing.

12:24

The CE says last year’s social unrest has dealt a heavy blow to Hong Kong’s image as a safe city.

She said foreign governments have mounted “unreasonable criticism and smearing” of the national security law and the disqualification of four pan-democratic lawmakers, which in turn undermined the confidence among overseas businesses in in the rule of law and freedom in Hong Kong.

In light of this, Lam said the government will roll out large-scale publicity and promotion strategies to promote the city, and to try to restore the confidence in the SAR among businesspeople, investors, entrepreneurs, researchers and talents around the world and in “various mainland sectors”.

12:19

Carrie Lam says the government has decided to abolish the double stamp duty on non-residential property transactions, effective on Thursday, to make it easier for cash-strapped companies to sell their properties.

But at the same time, she stressed that there were no such plans to remove any ‘spicy measures’ previously taken by the government on residential property sales.

She said in her policy address that the double stamp duty – introduced in 2013 – is no longer needed because of the economic recession brought on by the Covid-19 pandemic.

“Demand for non-residential properties have been dropping over a period of time,” Lam noted.

The measure was approved by the Executive Council on Wednesday morning.

“We will continue to monitor the developments of the non-residential property market, and resort to appropriate measures again as and when necessary to ensure the stable development of the market,” Lam said.

However, she stressed that the government has no plans to adjust any of the stamp duties relating to residential properties, “given the tight housing supply and that residential property prices remain beyond the reach of the average households.”

12:14

Carrie Lam said the government will set aside some HK$600 million dollars to help the tourism industry, one of the sectors hardest hit by the coronavirus pandemic.

She said the measures will benefit travel agencies, tour guides and drivers who cater mainly to tourists.

She said the government will also in future promote local cultural, historical and green tourism resources to both mainland and overseas visitors once the epidemic eases.

12:09

Chief Executive Carrie Lam says Hong Kong is seeking to join the new Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) – the largest trade pact in the world signed by China and 14 other countries this month.

“She said the SAR is well placed to join the RCEP, and will seek to be among the first batch of economies to join.

12:06

The Chief Executive has outlined plans to build closer ties with other cities in the Greater Bay Area – one of which is a scheme that would allow hundreds of young people from Hong Kong to work for IT firms across the border.

She said her administration is in talks with Shenzhen authorities to help local IT businesses establish a presence in the Innovation and Technology Zone in Shenzhen’s Futian district.

Lam is also proposing a new five-year, HK$2 billion “Global STEM Professorship Scheme” to try to attract overseas talents in research and development.

She said some university presidents have told her many people currently working overseas are interested in coming to work in Asia.

12:00

Carrie Lam says the government has agreed to a proposal to build automated car parks by the Hong Kong entrance to the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge, to allow cross border visitors park there as they visit the city, or head straight to the airport to catch flights without having to go through immigration clearance.

A new “autonomous transportation system” is also being planned to beef up connectivity between a new airport mall called Skycity, the airport itself, and the bridge to Zhuhai and Macau.

Lam said the next step would be to extend this autonomous transport system all the way to Tung Chung.

“This innovative idea of optimising the use of the land adjacent to the airport will not only provide more job opportunities and a better living environment for the expanding Tung Chung community, but also inject new development elements and economic impetus into the whole North Lantau”, Lam said.

She said the Airport Authority will provide more details at a later date.

11:51

The Chief Executive Carrie Lam stressed the need for Hong Kong to play its part in the country’s overall development strategy.

The territory would invest “substantially” in innovation and technology, and play the role of ‘facilitator’ and ‘promoter’.

She said Hong Kong should take advantage of China’s unique position among major global powers that have avoided falling into a deep recession during the Covid crisis.

“There is no reason for us not to take advantage of this development when we seek to inject impetus to relaunch our economy”, she said.

She noted that Beijing’s 14th Five-Year plan involves a “dual circulation” system with the domestic market as the basis of economic development, while encouraging domestic and foreign markets to “interact positively with each other”.

As such, she said Hong Kong’s position is evident.

“Given the advantages under “One Country, Two Systems”, Hong Kong can further strengthen its ‘intermediary’ role in international circulation,” she said.

“Playing the dual role well will bring continuous impetus to Hong Kong’s economy.”

11:50

Carrie Lam says so long as Hong Kong is able to contain the Covid-19 epidemic, mainland authorities are ready to lift current compulsory quarantine requirements for cross-border travel.

She said the government may implement another round of universal community testing to achieve “zero infection”, but did not say that this would be mandatory.

She also said in her policy address that Beijing has agreed to reserve a “certain amount” of coronavirus vaccines it develops or produces for use here when necessary. However, she gave no concrete figures, or a timetable.

Lam also said every decision made by her government in countering the pandemic was based on science and politics was never a consideration.

11:40

Carrie Lam is warning that further increases in government expenditure will prove difficult in future, with the administration already having rolled up HK$310 billion worth of epidemic relief measures over the past year.

”However, to avoid impeding the development of Hong Kong, we will continue to invest in infrastructure, develop our land resources and meet economic and livelihood needs,” she said in her policy address.

To save costs, she said government plans to create new directorate posts would all be reviewed individually, and permanent posts will be replaced by temporary ones.

The government will also streamline land development development control and approval procedures, and expedite applications for lease modifications.

11:39

Chief Executive Carrie Lam says the government is looking to “enhance” existing arrangements for local elections.

But she did not give any concrete details in her policy address, noting only that the government ash reviewed the existing legislation, and will introduce bills to revise the relevant laws “in due course.”

“There are views in the community calling for the Electoral Affairs Commission (EAC) to change and enhance the existing electoral arrangements”, she said.

11:38

The CE praised Hong Kong’s disciplined services, saying they are “highly trusted by the public”.

She warned that police will take stringent action “in a fair and impartial manner” against violent acts and what she called “justice law-breaking” which threatens people’s lives and property – adding that if minor offenders admit their wrongdoings, officers are prepared to consider handling their cases in a way that’s conducive to their rehabilitation, such as cautioning them under the Police Superintendent’s Discretion Scheme or imposing bind over orders that do not leave criminal records.

11:30

The Chief Executive, Carrie Lam, says her administration will draw up new amendments to existing laws in line with Beijing’s decisions on the oath-taking of public officers, the new national security law, and the National People’s Congress Standing Committee’s decision on expulsion of lawmakers deemed to have failed to uphold the Basic Law.

In her policy address, she said the the Oaths and Declarations Ordinance and the Legislative Council Ordinance will be amended “to deal with those who have engaged in conduct that breaches the oath after swearing-in as well as the legal consequences and the relevant statutory procedures involved.”

Carrie Lam also revealed that the Department of Justice is launching a ten-year initiative to educate the public about the rule of law, as well as promote “law-abiding awareness” to young people.

11:24

Carrie Lam defended Beijing’s imposition of the national security law at the end of June, saying the central government had no choice but to step in to restore stability in the city.

She said opposition forces and organisations had been advocating “Hong Kong independence” and “self-determination”, blatantly challenging the authority of the central government and the SAR Government.

She also accused them of pleading for interference from “external forces” in local affairs, and begging for sanctions against Hong Kong.

She also criticised foreign governments and legislatures for what she called intensification of their interference in Hong Kong’s affairs which “severely jeopardised” national security.

The CE said the government is now drawing up plans to strengthen publicity and education in terms of enhancing Hong Kong people’s understanding of national security and law-abiding awareness.

11:18

Touching on recent concerns over what critics say is a decline in judicial independence in relation to Beijing’s disqualification of four pan-democratic lawmakers, the Chief Executive gave assurances that there is “no conflict between an executive-led system and an independent judiciary.”

At the same time, she said the Basic Law gives “extensive powers” to the Chief Executive, who has roles and functions to play in the exercise of powers and functions by both the legislature and the judiciary.

She also repeated her assertion that "ill-intentioned people influenced by external forces have made use of the relatively complicated social and political situation in Hong Kong to deliberately mislead the public about the relationship between the Central Government and the HKSAR."

Lam said Hong Kong has experienced the most severe political challenges since the handover, and one of the government's top priorities is to restore the SAR’s constitutional order and political system from chaos.

11:15

As part of efforts to improve cross-border infrastructure, Carrie Lam said co-location arrangements would be introduced at the new Huanggang control point in Shenzhen that will free up over 20 hectares of land at the Hong Kong check point for other uses.

Co-location refers to housing customs clearance facilities and officers in one location – a controversial arrangement currently being used at the high-speed rail link terminus in West Kowloon.

11:12

Chief Executive Carrie Lam is delivering her fourth policy address that was delayed by more than a month to allow for consultations with Beijing. Photo: RTHK

Carrie Lam says she received “very positive feedback” from mainland leaders during her trip to Beijing last month.

She quoted Vice Premier Han Zheng as saying that “the Central Government will fully support whatever measure that is conducive to maintaining the long-term prosperity and stability of Hong Kong, improving the well-being of Hong Kong people, and promoting greater integration of Hong Kong into the overall development of the country”

11:09

Repeating her assertion that the National Security Law – implemented by Beijing on Hong Kong this summer – has restored stability, the Chief Executive said Hong Kong will have to look north to the mainland to give new impetus to the SAR’s ailing economy, which is expected to contract by 6.1 percent this year.

“The road to economic recovery is still fraught with difficulties,” Lam noted, while stressing that the city can capitalise on its strengths to “serve the country’s needs with proactive participation in the domestic and international dual circulation as well as better integration into the overall national development.”

11:03

The Chief Executive says the primary objective of her latest policy address is to find ways to get Hong Kong “out of the impasse” and restore people’s confidence as soon as possible, following a trying year of social unrest, the Covid pandemic, and shrinking economy.

Carrie Lam said her policy blueprint "seeks to restore Hong Kong’s constitutional order, consolidate and enhance Hong Kong’s strengths and diversify its economic development."

She also said the government would build on its past efforts to improve people's lives, "with a view to resolving our immediate and long-term social problems."

Lam says she wishes for support from both the Legislative Council and the community at large.

11:01

Carrie Lam is now starting to deliver her Policy Address at the Legislative Council -- without any pan-democrats in attendance. In previous years she was always met with rowdy protests. Last year she was unable to deliver her policy blueprint at Legco at all, and had to broadcast it via video link.

All the pro-establishment legislators were completely quiet as she walked in, with no protest signs or placards in sight.

10:53

Good morning and welcome to RTHK’s live coverage of the 2020 Policy Address.

The Chief Executive, Carrie Lam, is set to deliver her fourth Policy Address as Hong Kong reels from a fourth wave of Covid-19 and a deepening economic recession caused by the pandemic.

The absence of pan-democratic lawmakers who in past years had invariably met her outside the Legco chamber with rowdy protests is also a stark reminder that the legislature has now been left without an effective opposition – following the mass resignation of the pan-dems to protest the ousting of four of its members by Beijing earlier this month.

Lam had yesterday tried to temper expectations, saying many of the 200 new proposals in her policy blueprint won’t actually involve much additional public spending.

She also said new measures that involve Beijing’s support won’t be immediate, as Hong Kong first needs to get its coronavirus infections under control.

Nonetheless, people will be looking for the fruits of her discussions last month with Beijing officials – the reason why the policy address was postponed from its original date of October 14.