Financial Secretary Paul Chan said Hong Kong can learn from the fourth plenum of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and other development projects on the mainland in developing the Northern Metropolis.

In his blog on Sunday, Chan spoke about a visit by an SAR delegation led by him to the Beijing Municipal Administrative Centre and the Xiong'an New Area in Hebei province.

More than 40 people, including government officials, business and innovation sector representatives, along with officials from local universities, joined the visit and were deeply inspired by the planning, foresight and speed of development of the two areas, Chan said.

The trip was held during the recently concluded plenary session, which endorsed the recommendations for the country's 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-2030).

The financial secretary said the approval of the blueprint's recommendations, as well as the rapid development of the two areas, highlighted China's unique development model.

He said Hong Kong should adopt the spirit of the fourth plenum and actively integrate with the country's development.

Hong Kong should also speed up the development of the Northern Metropolis and unlock its potential by removing barriers, Chan added.

He said the government should also work to attract global talent with flexible policies and improve public services through digitalisation and technology.

The SAR should also utilise its advantages under the One Country, Two Systems principle, he added, serving as a super-connector to boost innovative cooperation and exchange resources with the mainland.

Chan said the Northern Metropolis serves as a platform for advancing in-depth cooperation with the Greater Bay Area and attracting investment, both of which are crucial to the SAR’s future development.

“Whether it is to accelerate the development of the Northern Metropolis or to consolidate and enhance Hong Kong's status as an international financial, trading, shipping and innovation centre, we must focus on the direction and target, maintain strategic focus, and move forward with unremitting efforts,” he wrote.