The Under Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry, Ms Lillian Cheong, and the Commissioner for Digital Policy, Mr Tony Wong, attended different forums of the 2024 World Internet Conference Wuzhen Summit held in Hangzhou today (November 21) and exchanged views on Hong Kong's latest developments in innovation and technology with representatives of government institutions, international organisations, enterprises and research institutes from the Mainland and abroad.

     They attended the opening ceremony and plenary session of the Summit yesterday (November 20). The Summit, with the theme "Embracing a People-centered and AI for Good Digital Future – Building a Community with a Shared Future in Cyberspace", is hosted by the World Internet Conference.

     Ms Cheong attended the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) Internet Development Forum and delivered a keynote speech today, stressing that Hong Kong is pressing ahead to build itself into an international innovation and technology centre, with a view to creating new quality productive forces through scientific innovation.

     She pointed out that Hong Kong is actively taking forward the development of innovation and technology in the GBA by promoting data flows, and is also accelerating the development of the Hong Kong Park of the Hetao Shenzhen-Hong Kong Science and Technology Innovation Co-operation Zone. The Development Outline for the Hong Kong Park of the Hetao Shenzhen-Hong Kong Science and Technology Innovation Co-operation Zone was promulgated by the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government yesterday, under which facilitation policy measures enabling the flow of personnel, materials, capital and data between the Hong Kong Park and the Shenzhen Park will be explored with the relevant central authorities under the "one country, two systems" and "one zone, two parks" principles. The policy measures will help promote technological and industrial innovation and make the Hetao Co-operation Zone a crucial source of new quality productive forces for the GBA and the country.

     Ms Cheong then attended the Digital Economy Forum. In her keynote address, she noted that Hong Kong is driving its digital economy by using data as a key element through four directions: enhancing Hong Kong's digital policy, strengthening digital infrastructure, promoting digital industrialisation and industrial digitisation, and expanding international co-operation in the digital economy. The HKSAR Government is also developing 10 hectares of land in Sandy Ridge in the Northern Metropolis as a data park to pool together representative data enterprises from home and abroad. Leveraging the city's unique role as a "super connector" and "super value-adder", the HKSAR Government is striving to enhance the resilience of global supply chains through a digital economy, thereby making a greater contribution to advancing the Chinese path to modernisation while supporting the establishment of global institutional and system innovation.

     Separately, Mr Wong delivered a keynote address today in the Cybersecurity Forum for Technology Development and International Cooperation, sharing the strategies of the HKSAR Government in promoting the development of artificial intelligence (AI). He stated that the HKSAR Government is implementing various measures including enriching data resources, promoting data openness, and establishing digital infrastructure to support the comprehensive development of AI, strengthening AI governance, and promoting applications on digital government. The Government continues to strive to safeguard Hong Kong's unique advantages of the free flow of data, openness, and a high degree of internationalisation, while simultaneously building a secure and stable Internet environment to serve as an important window for the country to the world by aligning with national development.

     Mr Wong also participated in the Data Governance Forum, where he shared Hong Kong's efforts in promoting cross-boundary data flows, as well as the opportunities brought about by the cross-boundary data flow. He pointed out that the Standard Contract for the Cross-boundary Flow of Personal Information Within the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (Mainland, Hong Kong) represents a policy breakthrough and is the first facilitation measure to foster the cross-boundary flow of personal information within the GBA in a safe and orderly manner. This initiative promotes more cross-boundary services that benefit the public and businesses, thereby helping Hong Kong better integrate into the digital economic development of the GBA. He expressed gratitude to the Cyberspace Administration of China for its support of Hong Kong so that industries of all sectors in the GBA can take part in the cross-boundary data flow in a safe and orderly manner.

     Ms Cheong and Mr Wong also visited three local technology enterprises in Hangzhou. They engaged in exchanges with the enterprises' representatives on such areas as security measures for digital government development and major international events, smart factories, and development of large AI models and applications.

     They concluded their visit today and returned to Hong Kong in the evening.

                

     Hong Kong Customs and the Australian Border Force cohosted the two-day Regional Conference on Combating Illicit Cigarette on November 20 and 21, with the meeting concluding today (November 21).
      
     This is the first large-scale regional conference on combating illicit cigarettes held by Hong Kong Customs. The two-day Conference gathered more than 40 representatives from 18 Asia-Pacific (A/P) members of the World Customs Organization (WCO), experts from law enforcement agencies and public health professionals, including a representative from the Hong Kong Department of Health. They had an in-depth exchange of views and shared experiences on combating the cross-border smuggling of cigarettes and enforcing tobacco control policies.
      
     In her opening speech at the Conference, the Commissioner of Customs and Excise, Ms Louise Ho, said that illicit cigarette smuggling has been a concern to many Customs administrations. In the A/P region, the situations were particularly serious in Hong Kong and Australia. According to the WCO Illicit Trade Report 2023, 90 Customs administrations reported more than 38 000 illicit tobacco cases and seized over 3.1 billion sticks of illicit cigarettes last year, representing an increase of 54 per cent and 46 per cent respectively when compared with 2022.
      
     Hong Kong Customs always spares no effort in combating illicit cigarette activities. The amount of illicit cigarettes seized in the past four years has been continuously increasing, from around 55 million sticks in 2019 to 652 million sticks in 2023. These upward trends have indicated ongoing challenges in combating cross-border cigarette smuggling and the need for enhanced enforcement capacity. Therefore, Hong Kong Customs and the Australian Border Force cohosted the conference with an aim to facilitate the exchange of knowledge and experiences among A/P members in combating illicit cigarettes to further enhance the co-operation and law enforcement capabilities of regional members in this field.
      
     At the same time, the Australian Border Force at the conference also reviewed and refined the A/P joint operation against the smuggling of illicit cigarettes codenamed "Yarrowdark", which it initiated this year. The participating law enforcement agencies also evaluated the trends and patterns of illicit cigarette activities to further strengthen the effectiveness of regional co-operation against illicit cigarettes.
      
     The conference also included a series of thematic presentations and discussions focusing on illicit cigarettes and public health concerns. Participants explored enforcement strategies and effectiveness from diverse perspectives, while fostering co-operation and information sharing among A/P members and related stakeholders.
      
     In addition, Hong Kong Customs took this opportunity to hold bilateral meetings with law enforcement agencies in Vietnam, Cambodia, Japan, New Zealand and Singapore respectively to explore collaboration in combating cigarette smuggling activities and promote a more comprehensive exchange of intelligence information to foster closer mutual co-operation.

        

     The Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Brussels (HKETO, Brussels) is supporting the participation of Hong Kong films at the 46th Festival des 3 Continents being held in Nantes, France, from November 15 to 23.

     The Festival des 3 Continents is paying tribute to Hong Kong director Derek Yee with a retrospective of his movies from 1977 to 2007. In addition, the Festival is showing two Hong Kong movies, namely "In Broad Daylight" by Lawrence Kan and "Time Still Turns the Pages" by Nick Cheuk.

     HKETO, Brussels hosted a reception on November 20 (Nantes time) for about 80 guests from local film, cultural and business sectors. Speaking at the reception, Assistant Representative Mr Paul Leung said that Hong Kong is an East-meets-West centre for international cultural exchanges and an Asian front runner in global film production. 
 
     "To enhance the development of the film industry, the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region has been supporting the film industry through the Film Development Fund in four strategic directions, namely nurturing talent, enhancing local production, expanding markets and building audiences," added Mr Leung.

     He highlighted the recently launched Hong Kong-Europe-Asian Film Collaboration Funding Scheme, which subsidises film projects co-produced by filmmakers from European and Asian countries to produce films featuring Hong Kong, European and Asian cultures. The scheme aims to support Hong Kong films in expanding to overseas markets.

     The Festival des 3 Continents screens movies from Asia, Africa and Latin America, and has featured film directors to the French public since 1979. 

  

     â€‹The 42nd Asian and Pacific Conference of Correctional Administrators (APCCA), hosted by the Correctional Services Department (CSD), concluded today (November 21).
      
     This year's APCCA, themed "Collaboration for Sustainable and High-quality Development", was attended by about 140 correctional chiefs and representatives from 30 Asia-Pacific countries and regions (including 16 Belt and Road countries), as well as representatives of relevant professional organisations.
      
     Speaking at the closing ceremony, the Commissioner of Correctional Services, Mr Wong Kwok-hing, said that the APCCA this year has achieved fruitful results and fostered exchanges and closer collaboration among correctional organisations in the Asia-Pacific region. He thanked delegates for their active participation in the Conference and sharing of valuable experiences and insights, bringing new inspiration to promoting sustainable and high-quality correctional work.
      
     Mr Wong stressed that collaboration on all fronts is key to achieving sustainable and high-quality development. Looking ahead, he hoped APCCA members will continue to maintain close liaisons, and create opportunities for co-operation, working together to promote sustainable and high-quality developments in corrections.
      
     This is the fourth time the CSD has served as the host of the APCCA. The Conference this year covered topics in five specialised areas, namely "Challenges and initiatives in corrections", "Training, fostering and developing staff: Ensuring a professional, accountable and supportive culture", "Technology as an aid to reducing prison violence, and to managing and rehabilitating offenders in prison and the community", "Working with families and communities to improve rehabilitation and reintegration", and "How to design, construct and operate prisons in a more environmentally friendly way". During the Conference, participants actively engaged in discussions and exchanges among one another. They also visited correctional institutions in Hong Kong to learn about Smart Prison development in Hong Kong and diversified rehabilitation programmes of the CSD.
      
     As the host of the Conference this year, to tell participants from over the world the good stories of Hong Kong, the CSD specially arranged for participants to visit popular tourist attractions in Hong Kong such as Victoria Harbour, the Avenue of Stars and Ngong Ping, providing them with unique cultural and culinary experiences to experience the charm of the city.

    

     The Secretary for Transport and Logistics, Mr Lam Sai-hung, and Vice Mayor of the Shenzhen Municipal People's Government Mr Tao Yongxin, leading delegations of the governments of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) and Shenzhen respectively, held the third meeting of the Task Force for Hong Kong-Shenzhen Co-operation on Cross-Boundary Railway Infrastructure in Shenzhen today (November 21).

     At the meeting, both sides discussed the progress of the work of cross-boundary railway projects, including deliberation of the findings of the second-stage study of the Hong Kong-Shenzhen Western Rail Link (Hung Shui Kiu-Qianhai) (HSWRL) and the arrangements for the implementation of the Northern Link (NOL) Spur Line. Both sides agreed to jointly set up an Office for Implementing Cross-boundary Railway Projects by the relevant departments of the governments of the two places to take forward the planning and design of the next stage of the HSWRL and the NOL Spur Line projects, and to set up a Legal Group to focus on the study and discussion of the legal issues involved in the two projects.

     Mr Lam said, "Since its establishment, the Task Force has been working closely together to conduct in-depth studies on cross-boundary railway infrastructure and diligently planning for relevant railway projects, with a view to better facilitating Hong Kong's integration into the development of the Greater Bay Area. Upon completion, the HSWRL and the NOL Spur Line will also serve as parts of an important transport backbone for the Northern Metropolis."

     Representatives of the HKSAR Government attending the meeting today included officials from the Development Bureau, the Security Bureau, the Highways Department, the Planning Department and the Transport Department.

     To further enhance the connectivity of the Greater Bay Area's infrastructure, the governments of Hong Kong and Shenzhen established the Task Force for Hong Kong-Shenzhen Co-operation on Cross-Boundary Railway Infrastructure in August 2021 to jointly develop the "GBA on the Rail" and to take forward the HSWRL and the NOL Spur Line projects.