LSCM Summit 2024: Advancing Hong Kong's Smart City and Digital Economy Initiatives

Speech by SITI at LSCM Logistics Summit 2024

Following is the speech by the Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry, Professor Sun Dong, at the LSCM Logistics Summit 2024 today (October 10):

萬部長 (Deputy Director-General of the YouthDepartment of the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, Ms Wan Ning), 謝書記 (Deputy Secretary of the CPC Working Committee of Nansha Development Zone, Guangzhou Mr Xie Wei), Alan (Chairman of the Logistics and Supply Chain MultiTech R&D Centre (LSCM), Professor Alan Lam), Simon (Chief Executive Officer of the LSCM, Mr Simon Wong), distinguished speakers and guests, ladies and gentlemen,

Good morning. It is my great pleasure to join you today again at the LSCM Logistics Summit, the annual signature event that brings together industry experts, business leaders, and academics to exchange ideas on the latest developments in innovation and technology (I&T) and to promote technology adoption.

In recent years, we have witnessed remarkable advancements in I&T that have accelerated our efforts in building a smart city and bolstering the digital economy. This Summit, themed "The New Era of Digitalisation: From Smart City to Digital Economy", represents a much-welcome opportunity to explore how the evolving technologies are shaping and digitalising Hong Kong and the entire Greater Bay Area (GBA).

Promoting digital economy and smart city development in Hong Kong is one of our major strategic directions as set out in the Hong Kong I&T Development Blueprint promulgated in late 2022. Smart Mobility and Smart Living are also key areas in smart city development. Paying heed to these strategies and priorities, the Government works closely with our key stakeholders such as the LSCM to collaborate on the I&T adventure.

The LSCM is an active partner in our endeavours on smart city development. It participates in a number of pilots and proofs-of-concept involving government bureaux and departments. A notable example is the development of the Cross-boundary Public Services self-service kiosks. The kiosks currently support around 70 public services from the Government, covering tax, company registration, property and vehicle, among others. Setting up in various GBA Mainland cities such as Zhuhai, Guangzhou and Shenzhen, these kiosks facilitate access to Hong Kong's public services for residents and enterprises in the GBA Mainland cities, doing away with the need for in-person visits and providing significant convenience.

The LSCM's efforts have gained wide recognition both locally and internationally, as evident by the eight awards they received at the International Exhibition of Inventions Geneva in April this year, including the self-service kiosk I shared just now. Other award-winning solutions cover a broad range of technologies such as satellite signal monitoring and Internet of things.

All these demonstrate the strong capability and creativity of theLSCM, and represent a testimony to Hong Kong's strengths and commitment to turning our vision of becoming an international I&T centre into reality.

I am excited to learn that theLSCM will expand its collaboration networks by signing three MOUs with three leading research institutes from Mainland China respectively covering different fields of information technology such as software and container logistics. I am confident that these collaborations will inject new impetus into the LSCM's work to generate more breakthroughs in the areas of smart city-related solutions.

Ladies and gentlemen, the development of a smart city will remain a priority of the Government. Collaboration will be the key. We will continue to join hands with our partners in the public and private sectors to push forward the smart city development of Hong Kong.

Before I close, I wish you all a rewarding experience at the LSCM Summit 2024. Thank you very much.

Speech by SITI at LSCM Logistics Summit 2024 Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

HKSARG responds to reauthorization of the so-called Sanctions Provisions under HKHRDA incorporated in National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2025

​The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government today (December 26) strongly disapproves of and firmly rejects US' reauthorization of the so-called Sanctions Provisions under the Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act (HKHRDA) incorporated in National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2025.

A spokesman for the Government said, "In accordance with international law and international practice based on the Charter of the United Nations, it is each and every sovereign state's inherent right to enact laws safeguarding national security, and it is also an international practice. With at least 21 pieces of laws safeguarding national security, the US has exposed its double standards by pointing the finger at the HKSAR's legal system and enforcement mechanism to safeguard national security."

"The Hong Kong National Security Law (NSL) and the Safeguarding National Security Ordinance (SNSO) also clearly stipulate that human rights shall be respected and protected in safeguarding national security in the HKSAR. The offences endangering national security stipulated by the related Ordinance target acts endangering national security with precision, and define the elements and penalties of the offences with clarity, aiming at addressing, combating, deterring and preventing acts and activities of endangering national security. It targets only an extremely small minority of people without affecting the basic rights and freedoms lawfully enjoyed by Hong Kong residents."

He said, "The US openly clamour for so-called 'sanctions' with an aim to intimidate HKSAR officials who resolutely safeguard national security. The HKSAR Government strongly condemns its political grandstanding rife with ill intentions, which have been seen through by all. The HKSAR despises the so-called 'sanctions' and will not be intimidated by such a despicable behaviour. The HKSAR will resolutely continue to discharge the duty of safeguarding national security."

The HKSAR Government has been enforcing the sanctions imposed by the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) fully and vigorously to fulfil our international obligations. We have long been maintaining an effective mechanism for implementing the resolutions of the UNSC. That includes denying entry of vessels designated by the UNSC as well as suspicious vessels, keeping a close watch on and inspecting suspicious Hong Kong-based companies to prevent them from participating in activities evading UNSC sanctions. At the same time, the HKSAR Government has been implementing a comprehensive and robust control regime over the import and export of strategic commodities and maintaining active participation in the Chemical Weapons Convention and the Arms Trade Treaty through the Central People's Government. The effectiveness of our work has been well respected and recognised by our trading partners and internationally.

The US has substantial economic interest in Hong Kong. Over the past decade, it registered a trade surplus of about US$270 billion with Hong Kong. Currently, some 1 390 US companies operate in Hong Kong. If the US insists on its acts, it will ultimately undermine the mutually beneficial relations between Hong Kong and the US, harming the interests of the US and its companies.

The spokesman reiterated that foreign governments and legislatures should not interfere in any form in the internal affairs of the HKSAR.