Chief Executive John Lee took questions today from members of the public regarding Hong Kong's First Five-Year Plan and his 2026 Policy Address during a Radio Television Hong Kong (RTHK) radio phone-in.

After announcing the Five-Year Plan and Policy Address on Wednesday, Mr Lee answered questions this morning on various aspects of the two blueprints, including the development of the Northern Metropolis, the city's vision for leveraging artificial intelligence (AI), and its growing role as a centre for renminbi (RMB) internationalisation.

Highlighting that significant resources are being allocated to the Northern Metropolis, the Chief Executive said it creates new opportunities for the city as a whole.

“The Northern Metropolis represents about one-third of our geographical area, so it is a big piece of land that gives us new opportunities.

“We have to ensure that we can also upgrade ourselves by diversifying our industries, because there will be more development opportunities when you have more industries of different kinds.

“It is actually mentioned in our country's 15th Five-Year Plan. That means the Northern Metropolis is not just a Hong Kong development. It has been elevated as a state-driven project.”

Turning to Hong Kong’s vision for artificial intelligence (AI), the Chief Executive emphasised the importance of embracing its use while being alert to its risks.

“So far, my policy is to encourage knowledge and application of AI as much as possible, but tell everybody the risks.”

The Government will appoint a Commissioner for AI, under the Digital Policy Office, who will assist bureaus and departments in combatting the use of AI in criminal activities, and in adopting the technology in daily work.

Explaining the commissioner's role, he said: “It means setting the policy. It means co-ordinating resources, identifying problems, setting best practices, issuing guidelines; and also, very importantly, it means developing AI for the whole of the Government.”

Asked about Hong Kong's status as an international financial centre and its vital role as a super-connector between the Mainland and global markets, Mr Lee remarked that the city is the world's largest offshore RMB market and will seek to support the currency's growing internationalisation.

“The Government wants to take the lead. For some contracts we have with our Mainland counterparts, can we use renminbi instead of Hong Kong dollars? We are buying water from the Mainland; that also can be a start.

“We do not have to be just rushing for it, but this is something we can, first of all, try out and see how we could encourage more use of renminbi.”

The Chief Executive added that the Government will continue to explore ways to expand cross-boundary financial co-operation overall.