Hong Kong's Chief Executive Carrie Lam delivered her annual policy address Wednesday, saying the controversial  national security law introduced last year restored "safety and stability." 

"Hong Kong is now ready again for a new start for economic development," Lam said in her annual policy address.

Lam then proposed a blueprint that would feature a "comprehensive development" near the border with mainland China.

What is the plan?

Lam said the so-called Northern Metropolis plan would provide hundreds of thousands more homes and tens of thousands of jobs. It would cover over 300 square kilometers border on the mainland's technology hub of Shenzhen. 

The plan is for around 926,000 homes, more than half o be newly built, to house some 2.5 million people. Lam said the development aims to grow into an innovation and technology hub, creating more than 500,000 jobs, and complementing the city's role as a financial center. 

"(It) will be the most important area in Hong Kong that facilitates our development integration with Shenzhen and connection with the GBA," she said, referring to the "Greater Bay Area" and Hong Kong's connection with and Guangdong and Macau. 

Hong Kong's housing shortage

Since Hong Kong was handed back to China in 1997, creating more housing has been a priority. The island has limited space for development, and many people have been forced to live in extremely small "cage" apartments. Real estate costs in Hong Kong are among the highest in the world. 

The territory is consists of hilly and mountainous islands, and its population density is around 90,000 people per square mile (36,000 per square kilometer) in the urban core.

Much wild space, comprising 1,100 square kilometers (425 square miles) has not been developed

Lam said she was confident that Hong Kong will be able overcome a shortfall of land in the medium to long term with land reclamations and the Northern Metropolis project. 

The extremely high costs of living have been blamed by authorities for helping drive a massive anti-government protest movement in 2019. The unrest eventually led to a draconian national security law, which was introduced in response in 2020. 

A draconian national security law was introduced by Beijing in response and the curtain fell on the pro-democracy movement as Beijing moved against independent media and activists. 

ar/wmr (AP,Reuters)