The central government's plan to expand the opening-up of Qianhai, a special cooperation zone in Shenzhen, and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government's proposal for a Northern Metropolis will bring a new impetus to the city's economic growth, political heavyweights said on Friday.

In a forum on the development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor highlighted the significance of the Qianhai plan to Hong Kong, saying, "The crucial initiative can promote the long-term development of the city's professional-services industry."

The Qianhai plan was unveiled by the central government in September.

Lam in her speech also mentioned the Northern Metropolis project, an ambitious development plan that she proposed in the latest Policy Address.

The planned new metropolis, covering about 300 square kilometers, will include Hong Kong's Yuen Long and North districts and follow the Shenzhen-Hong Kong Boundary Control Points Economic Belt.

The area as envisioned will develop into an international innovation and technology hub that will be home to about 2.5 million people and offer 150,000 jobs in the I&T sector.

Lam said the Northern Metropolis project was proposed in tandem with the Qianhai plan and the development of the Greater Bay Area, which will create unlimited opportunities for the city.

Looking ahead, Lam stressed it is necessary for Hong Kong to further connect with the Chinese mainland and narrow the gap between the two places mainly in four fields — infrastructure, cooperation mechanisms, policies, and bonding between two places' residents — to build a high-quality bay area.

Echoing those sentiments, Yin Zonghua, deputy director of the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the HKSAR, in his speech said that the Qianhai plan injects a powerful impetus into the development of the bay area and brings great opportunities for Hong Kong's long-term prosperity.

He said that Hong Kong — a city that plays a unique and irreplaceable role in the Greater Bay Area — has a promising future.

Yin urged the city to seize its opportunities and further promote all walks of life to actively participate in the construction of the Greater Bay Area, improve the interconnection mechanism, and make breakthroughs in key areas related to the economy, people's livelihoods, and innovation and technology.

Hong Kong Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po told the forum that he's optimistic about Hong Kong's development in finance, innovation and technology, and logistics.

The forum, hosted by the Hong Kong Ta Kung Wen Wei Media Group and some other local organizations, was attended by about 200 participants online and offline.