Attention duty announcers, radio and TV stations:

Please broadcast the following as soon as possible and repeat it at suitable intervals:

     Members of the public are advised to report any street flooding that comes to their notice to the Drainage Services Department by calling the 24-hour drainage hotline on 2300 1110.

     Following is the speech by the Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry, Professor Sun Dong, at the Hong Kong-Shenzhen Innovation and Technology (I&T) Park Partnership Launching Ceremony today (April 18):

Chief Executive, Mr John Lee, Acting Financial Secretary, Mr Michael Wong, distinguished guests, representatives of our Partnership enterprises, ladies and gentlemen,

     Good morning. It gives me great pleasure to join you all at today's Hong Kong-Shenzhen I&T Park (HSITP) Partnership Launching Ceremony. First of all, I would like to congratulate the HSITP Limited for bringing together such a big group of valued partners.
      
     To grow the innovation and technology sector, we need a vibrant ecosystem supported by a close collaboration between various sectors. This is the prefect reason to explain the diverse representation here today. Among the some 60 companies or organisations, we have representatives from the industry, academia and R&D (research and development) institutions, as well as the investment sector. About a quarter of companies are from overseas, including the United States, France, Japan, the United Kingdom, Australia, Thailand and Singapore. Twenty-four companies are new to set their footprint or expand business in Hong Kong. This diverse portfolio highlights Hong Kong's unique advantage as an international city. Also, today's partnership casts a big vote of confidence in the development of the HSITP, as well as Hong Kong's I&T development.
      
     Being home to five world's top 100 universities, and numerous world-class experts and scholars, Hong Kong has access to the best resources available, forming a solid foundation and network for our journey to become an international I&T centre. To realise this goal, fostering collaborative efforts from the Government, industry, academic, research and investment sectors is of utmost importance for all of us. I am delighted to witness the ceremony today which signifies the collective efforts from all of us towards achieving our shared vision.
      
     The HSITP, also known as the Hong Kong Park of the Shenzhen-Hong Kong Innovation and Technology Co-operation Zone, will be developed in two phases from west to east. The first three buildings under batch one of phase one are scheduled for completion progressively from the end of 2024 onwards. The Government will continue to support the growth and development of the Hong Kong Park, and an overarching document on its development is targeted to be released within this year.
      
     As the Chief Executive just mentioned, the HSITP will become our most strategic and important I&T platform that transcends beyond our boundary with the Mainland. Under the Hong Kong I&T Development Blueprint promulgated in December 2022, one of our key development strategies is to consolidate Hong Kong's role as a bridge connecting Mainland China and the rest of the world. Today's ceremony is one of our key milestones and I can say it is just a beginning. More and more good news is coming.

     Ladies and gentlemen, today is a big day for the HSITP and certainly for the Hong Kong's I&T development. I sincerely wish a flourishing I&T partnership and collaboration in the HSITP, and all of you the best of health and business in the year to come. Thank you very much.

  

Attention TV/radio announcers:

Please broadcast the following as soon as possible:

     Here is an item of interest to swimmers.

     The Leisure and Cultural Services Department announced today (April 18) that due to big waves, red flag has been hoisted at Hap Mun Bay Beach in Sai Kung District. Beachgoers are advised not to swim at the beach.

     Police are investigating a fatal traffic accident in Castle Peak in the small hours today (April 18) in which two men and a woman died.

     At 3.23am, a private car driven by a 25-year-old man was travelling along Tuen Mun Road towards Kowloon. Upon approaching near Siu Lam, the car reportedly lost control and rammed into the right side kerb before hitting an overhead sign gantry.

     Police officers sped to the scene. Sustaining serious head injuries, the male driver was certified dead at scene. Sustaining multiple injuries, a 26-year-old male passenger and a 23-year-old female passenger were rushed to Tuen Mun Hospital in unconscious state and were certified dead at 4.06am and 9.19am respectively.

     Investigation by the Special Investigation Team of Traffic, New Territories North is underway.

     Anyone who witnessed the accident or has any information to offer is urged to contact the investigating officers on 3661 3800.

     Following is the speech by the Chief Executive, Mr John Lee, at the Hong Kong-Shenzhen Innovation and Technology Park Partnership Launching Ceremony today (April 18):
      
Distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen,
      
     Good morning. I'm delighted to be here with you today, for the Partnership Launching Ceremony of the Hong Kong-Shenzhen Innovation and Technology (I&T) Park.
      
     This morning's ceremony is a milestone in the development of the I&T Park – one that resonates far beyond the Park's reach, along Hong Kong's boundary with Shenzhen.
      
     Some 60 companies and organisations are taking part in today's ceremony. They come from Hong Kong and the Mainland, as well as seven countries in the Asia Pacific, Europe and North America. The strategic specialisations they bring to the Park – and to Hong Kong – range from life and health technology, to new energy, microelectronics and much more.
      
     These enterprises and enterprising partners will help to attract talent and investment, cultivate industry collaboration, facilitate market access, and provide many other services essential to an undertaking as ambitious, and far-reaching, as this one.
      
     With its strategic location in the Shenzhen-Hong Kong Loop, the Park will form part of the Shenzhen-Hong Kong Science and Technology Innovation Co-operation Zone. The Loop, as you would know, will become a key area of I&T development that transcends beyond our boundary with the Mainland.
      
     In Hong Kong, the Park is within the San Tin Technopole area, which will emerge as our city's largest I&T centre by far – with some 300 hectares supporting Hong Kong's rise as an international I&T hub.
      
     And you have made a good start – we, together, have made this very good start. On that, my thanks to the international partnership signing ceremony today that brings us all together here.
      
     Yes, after years of planning and the hard, smart work of many parties, the Park is fast approaching operational phase. Indeed, two buildings of laboratories and one accommodation building will be completed, progressively, from the end of this year.
      
     More will follow. All of it will integrate with and help drive our national development. 
      
     That, of course, begins with Shenzhen and the other cities in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA). The GBA brings together 11 cities in southern China, including Hong Kong and Shenzhen, and has a population of some 86 million. The GBA has a combined GDP (gross domestic product) equivalent to one-ninth of the GDP of our country, which is the world's second largest economy.
      
     The GBA will create new quality productive forces to boost the high-quality development of our country. Inspired by innovation, they include high-tech, high-efficiency and high-quality productivity.
      
     Hong Kong, I'm pleased to say, has all it takes to create new quality productive forces. Under the unique "one country, two systems" principle, Hong Kong enjoys the rule of law, a free and enterprising business environment, world-class infrastructure, a robust financial system, as well as established R&D (research and development) capabilities with our world-renowned institutions.
      
     Our prowess not only cultivates a versatile workforce, but also attracts talent from around the world. That, in turn, brings a rising tide of strategic companies, entrepreneurs and start-ups turning to Hong Kong for their future.
      
     Over the past six months, we've welcomed some 50 high-tech companies from all over the world to Hong Kong, here to establish or expand their businesses. That's thanks to our Office for Attracting Strategic Enterprises.
      
     And now, this morning, I am delighted to welcome more of you, here to sign a partnership agreement with the Hong Kong-Shenzhen I&T Park.
      
     Here to become essential, indispensable, to Hong Kong's economy and community – to a flourishing future built on innovation and technology, and a whole lot more.
      
     As Hong Kong prospers with your companies, we will also continue to join hands with Shenzhen, to work out various innovative and cross-boundary facilitation measures for the benefit of our partners in the Park, and beyond.
      
     I am grateful to everyone involved in today's Partnership Launching Ceremony, for bringing a world of strategic companies and a wealth of talent to Hong Kong.
      
     I wish you all the best of I&T business in the years to come, and a long and rewarding future with us here in Hong Kong, an innovative world city.
      
     Thank you.