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     The Chief Executive, Mrs Carrie Lam, addressing the Smart City Summit 2018 organised by the American Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong this morning (June 27), said that Hong Kong has clear advantages in developing innovation and technology (I&T) and that the Government is currently pushing ahead with development at full steam in accordance with the eight-pronged approach set earlier with the devotion of a large amount of resources. She said she is confident that with the support of the Central Government, Hong Kong will be developed as a world-class I&T hub and smart city.

     Noting in her keynote speech at the Summit that Hong Kong’s I&T development is supported by sound technological foundations and outstanding capability in scientific research with the convergence of top universities, research institutes and high-quality professional scientific research talent from around the world, she said that most important of all is the unique advantage of “One Country, Two Systems” and the city’s proximity to the huge Mainland market. She said that with the impetus brought about by the two major national strategies, namely the Belt and Road Initiative and the development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong Macao Bay Area, Hong Kong is set to be presented with unprecedented opportunity in I&T development. She said Hong Kong has world-class information infrastructure and is among the world’s top five fastest growing start-up ecosystems. The number of start-ups has doubled to some 2,200 from 2014 to 2017. Venture capital has surged significantly from US$80 million in 2012 to about US$1,100 million in 2017. The Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation and Cyberport provide space for I&T enterprises, as too will the Hong Kong-Shenzhen Innovation and Technology Park to be developed at the Lok Ma Chau Loop area.

     “The most important thing is to increase resources in research and development. In order to do this, it is not just the question of the Government putting in money. We want also the private sector to invest more, so the Government launched tax incentives. And we want to attract more tech-intense companies or research institutions to Hong Kong by building up two important clusters, one focusing on healthcare technologies and the other on artificial intelligence and robotics technologies,” Mrs Lam said on the Government’s strategy in I&T development.

     On the development of smart city, Mrs Lam introduced various initiatives in the six major areas of the Smart City Blueprint for Hong Kong released in December last year, which comprise “Smart Mobility”, “Smart Living”, “Smart Environment”, “Smart People”, “Smart Government” and “Smart Economy”. She expressed the hope that the Summit could provide more ideas for Hong Kong’s smart city development.

     After delivering the speech, Mrs Lam chatted with Sophia, a robot developed by a start-up in the Hong Kong Science Park. During the chat, Mrs Lam said she hopes that the community will work together to develop Hong Kong into a smart city.

        

     Hong Kong Customs today (June 27) seized about 29 000 kilograms of suspected Guatemalan rosewood from a container at the Tsing Yi Customs Cargo Examination Compound. The estimated market value of the seizure was about $1.15 mil… read more

     Following is the speech by the Chief Executive, Mrs Carrie Lam, at the Belt and Road Global Forum Inauguration Ceremony cum Cocktail Reception today (June 27):

Vincent (Chairman of the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC), Mr Vincent Lo), Andrew (Council Member of the HKTDC, Mr Andrew Weir), Margaret (Executive Director of the HKTDC, Ms Margaret Fong), distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen,

     It really gives me great pleasure to come here to witness the launching of the Belt and Road Global Forum. Some of you may know I literally arrived in Hong Kong in the early hours of this morning. So to be able to catch this very meaningful event is a really great pleasure for me.

     During my almost two weeks’ travel in Europe covering Brussels and several cities in France, this Belt and Road Initiative popped up very often, whether amongst very senior government officials, especially in France, because when President Macron visited Beijing earlier this year, he came back and announced that France would like to take a leading role in the Belt and Road Initiative, and hence, the Prime Minister of France was in China only a few days ago. This picking up of momentum on the Belt and Road almost five years after President Xi Jinping announced the Initiative is to be very much welcomed, and of course welcomed by Hong Kong because the Central Government has made it very clear that Hong Kong will have a major role to play in the Belt and Road, and also to contribute to make the Belt and Road a success. That’s the objective of our signing an arrangement, very exceptionally, with the National Development and Reform Commission last December.

     I just want to say that our work in Belt and Road has been picking up momentum and I’m very pleased with the achievements following the signing of the arrangement last December. The inaugural meeting for us to meet with relevant authorities and agencies in the Central Government spearheaded by the National Development and Reform Commission took place earlier this month. This is a very important forum for us to have first-hand information about the Belt and Road, including things which are of great interest to many of you – the projects, the policies, the financing and so on.

     In this particular forum, we are extremely pleased, being the third one in a row, we have attracted over 5 000 participants. And this forum has now been given added meaning and strength with the formation of the Belt and Road Global Forum, which has within a very short period, not only set up but attracted some 111 member associations from 29 countries. I have to congratulate and commend the Trade Development Council, in its usual can-do spirit and efficiency, for getting this global forum up and running and I’d love to meet with you in future occasions to talk about our joint efforts in the Belt and Road. Meanwhile, enjoy this reception and the full day of programme tomorrow at the third Belt and Road Summit.

     Thank you very much.

    

     Following is the speech by the Chief Executive, Mrs Carrie Lam, at the Belt and Road Global Forum Inauguration Ceremony cum Cocktail Reception today (June 27):

Vincent (Chairman of the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC), Mr Vincent Lo), Andrew (Council Member of the HKTDC, Mr Andrew Weir), Margaret (Executive Director of the HKTDC, Ms Margaret Fong), distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen,

     It really gives me great pleasure to come here to witness the launching of the Belt and Road Global Forum. Some of you may know I literally arrived in Hong Kong in the early hours of this morning. So to be able to catch this very meaningful event is a really great pleasure for me.

     During my almost two weeks’ travel in Europe covering Brussels and several cities in France, this Belt and Road Initiative popped up very often, whether amongst very senior government officials, especially in France, because when President Macron visited Beijing earlier this year, he came back and announced that France would like to take a leading role in the Belt and Road Initiative, and hence, the Prime Minister of France was in China only a few days ago. This picking up of momentum on the Belt and Road almost five years after President Xi Jinping announced the Initiative is to be very much welcomed, and of course welcomed by Hong Kong because the Central Government has made it very clear that Hong Kong will have a major role to play in the Belt and Road, and also to contribute to make the Belt and Road a success. That’s the objective of our signing an arrangement, very exceptionally, with the National Development and Reform Commission last December.

     I just want to say that our work in Belt and Road has been picking up momentum and I’m very pleased with the achievements following the signing of the arrangement last December. The inaugural meeting for us to meet with relevant authorities and agencies in the Central Government spearheaded by the National Development and Reform Commission took place earlier this month. This is a very important forum for us to have first-hand information about the Belt and Road, including things which are of great interest to many of you – the projects, the policies, the financing and so on.

     In this particular forum, we are extremely pleased, being the third one in a row, we have attracted over 5 000 participants. And this forum has now been given added meaning and strength with the formation of the Belt and Road Global Forum, which has within a very short period, not only set up but attracted some 111 member associations from 29 countries. I have to congratulate and commend the Trade Development Council, in its usual can-do spirit and efficiency, for getting this global forum up and running and I’d love to meet with you in future occasions to talk about our joint efforts in the Belt and Road. Meanwhile, enjoy this reception and the full day of programme tomorrow at the third Belt and Road Summit.

     Thank you very much.

    

     Following is the speech by the Chief Executive, Mrs Carrie Lam, at the Belt and Road Global Forum Inauguration Ceremony cum Cocktail Reception today (June 27):

Vincent (Chairman of the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC), Mr Vincent Lo), Andrew (Council Member of the HKTDC, Mr Andrew Weir), Margaret (Executive Director of the HKTDC, Ms Margaret Fong), distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen,

     It really gives me great pleasure to come here to witness the launching of the Belt and Road Global Forum. Some of you may know I literally arrived in Hong Kong in the early hours of this morning. So to be able to catch this very meaningful event is a really great pleasure for me.

     During my almost two weeks’ travel in Europe covering Brussels and several cities in France, this Belt and Road Initiative popped up very often, whether amongst very senior government officials, especially in France, because when President Macron visited Beijing earlier this year, he came back and announced that France would like to take a leading role in the Belt and Road Initiative, and hence, the Prime Minister of France was in China only a few days ago. This picking up of momentum on the Belt and Road almost five years after President Xi Jinping announced the Initiative is to be very much welcomed, and of course welcomed by Hong Kong because the Central Government has made it very clear that Hong Kong will have a major role to play in the Belt and Road, and also to contribute to make the Belt and Road a success. That’s the objective of our signing an arrangement, very exceptionally, with the National Development and Reform Commission last December.

     I just want to say that our work in Belt and Road has been picking up momentum and I’m very pleased with the achievements following the signing of the arrangement last December. The inaugural meeting for us to meet with relevant authorities and agencies in the Central Government spearheaded by the National Development and Reform Commission took place earlier this month. This is a very important forum for us to have first-hand information about the Belt and Road, including things which are of great interest to many of you – the projects, the policies, the financing and so on.

     In this particular forum, we are extremely pleased, being the third one in a row, we have attracted over 5 000 participants. And this forum has now been given added meaning and strength with the formation of the Belt and Road Global Forum, which has within a very short period, not only set up but attracted some 111 member associations from 29 countries. I have to congratulate and commend the Trade Development Council, in its usual can-do spirit and efficiency, for getting this global forum up and running and I’d love to meet with you in future occasions to talk about our joint efforts in the Belt and Road. Meanwhile, enjoy this reception and the full day of programme tomorrow at the third Belt and Road Summit.

     Thank you very much.