2026 Policy Address | Practical Policy Roundtable Calls for Moving the Office of the Former Chief Executive to the Northern Metropolis, Citing Far-Reaching Strategic Diplomatic and Promotional Significance

The Policy Address consultation has been launched. Legislative Council Members and political groups are successively submitting proposals to Chief Executive John Lee, many of which focus on the development of the Northern Metropolis. The Realpolitik Roundtable recommends relocating the former Chief Executive’s Office to a core landmark office building within the central area of the Northern Metropolis, believing that the move can not only optimize resource allocation, but also carry far-reaching strategic diplomatic and promotional significance.

The Realpolitik Roundtable said that moving to the Northern Metropolis can effectively reduce the opportunity cost of renting prime sites in the city center, or the high expenses for maintaining heritage monuments, aligning with the government’s principle of “prudent financial management.” In addition, when the current Chief Executive hosts foreign envoys, business leaders, or international visitors there, it allows guests to directly view and assess the construction progress and future plans for the entire Northern Metropolis. This would not only help facilitate people-to-people diplomacy, but also perfectly combine foreign affairs hosting with the development of the country and the Northern Metropolis, thereby delivering strong synergy.

Policy Address 2026 | Tam Chun-kok urges Hong Kong and nine cities in the Greater Bay Area to co-develop a “Joint Industrial Park”

As for New Territories North Legislative Council Member Tam Chun-kok, he proposes that the government make good use of the space created by the Northern Metropolis-specific legislation to open up the “four flows”—people flow, logistics flow, data flow, and capital flow. He also suggests jointly developing a “Joint Policy Package” with the nine cities in the Greater Bay Area, to study co-building a “Joint Industrial Park,” establishing a “Joint Capital Pool,” and promoting the implementation of market projects, thereby achieving complementary strengths. Tam also hopes to replicate the “Hong Kong Railway Standards” for construction of roads, bridges, and other infrastructure, and incorporate them into national standards, to reduce construction costs and speed up completion. On healthcare support, Tam advocates establishing the “New Territories North Hospital Network” as soon as possible, integrating resources and improving specialist services. At the same time, rural infrastructure should be improved to promote urban-rural integration, and in step with the commissioning of new border crossings, surrounding transportation and commercial flow should be optimized in parallel.

Policy Address 2026 | Kwan Ho-ming calls for developing the Northern Metropolis while also addressing redevelopment of old areas

Election Committee Legislative Council Member Kwan Ho-ming, meanwhile, calls on the government to develop the Northern Metropolis while also addressing redevelopment problems in old areas, to avoid citizens feeling like the government is prioritizing one aspect over another. He suggests extending the “Revitalising Historic Buildings Through Partnership Scheme” to private old buildings, allowing owners to carry out self-renovations in compliance with safety requirements, preserving the verandas and stairwell features of tong lau, and turning old districts into “check-in” hotspots. He also recommends conducting a comprehensive review of district community halls in areas with low usage rates, as well as school premises left idle due to school closures, transforming them into multi-purpose venues such as places for senior health talks, short-term childcare, and respite spaces for caregivers, to avoid large-scale demolition and reconstruction.