On April 29, 2022, Chief Executive hopeful John Lee Ka-chiuLee Ka-chiu announces his platform at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre in Wan Chai. CALVIN NG CHINA DAILY HONG KONG KONG Chief executive candidate John Lee Ka-chiuLee Ka-chiu unveiled his political platform on Friday, vowing to improve governance, boost Hong Kong's land and housing supply, bolster Hong Kong's competitiveness, and build a caring society that emphasizes youth development.
Lee spoke at a media conference at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre in Wan Chai. There were many representatives from the district and grassroots sectors at the event.
Lee said he will establish an emergency mechanism to mobilize the civil service when dealing with public crises, bolstering the government's ability to execute and coordinate. He will set up dedicated support teams in the 18 district and create a wide volunteer network.
On the housing issue, Lee vowed to streamline procedures, accelerate infrastructure construction, and adopt multi-pronged approaches to address the deep-seated problem.
He wants to allow residents waiting for public housing to move in the estates if the residential buildings are completed, even if infrastructure support is not provided. He estimates that it will cut the wait time by about a year.
Lee will set up two new task forces that will be led by secretary-level officials to better coordinate the provision of public housing and the supply of land and housing.
Lee said there have been many plans to boost the land and housing supply, but now it is time to put words into action, which is why he pledged to improve the ability to execute.
Lee wants to make the city more competitive by integrating the city's advantages in finance and legal areas, and to make the city a global inno-tech center and culture hub.
The potential of the planned Northern Metropolis will be fully unleashed. Lee said that it will be a bridgehead to strengthen the connection with the Chinese mainland.
At the press conference on April 29, 2022, guests take booklets of the election platform of Chief Executive hopeful John Lee Ka-chiuLee Ka-chiu. He also put forward an innovative pilot program that invites enterprises and social organizations to offer training for 1,000 secondary students living in subdivided flats to help them find better development opportunities. The program is expected to last two to three years.
Lee also pledges to strengthen young people's national identity and their understanding of the nation.
Lee said in the announcement of the manifesto that there was an important message in the guiding principles of his policy direction and manifesto is the unity within the government and the society.
Lee collects views for the platform through various means. He also reached out to the communities to listen to the demands of grassroots residents, besides meeting with leaders of different sectors and inviting the general public to leave comments online.
He said that the platform focuses on his major political visions and may not cover every aspect. He will explain issues that are not included in the platform to the public later. If he is elected, he will give detail account of his initiatives in the Policy Address.
The chief executive election will take place on May 8, when the nearly 1,500 Election Committee members will cast their votes for the city's next top leader.