Hong Kong Maritime Week 2024 Opens with Focus on Sustainability and Global Shipping Innovations

Speech by Acting CE at Opening Ceremony of Hong Kong Maritime Week 2024 cum World Maritime Merchants Forum 2024 (with photos/video)

Following is the speech by the Acting Chief Executive, Mr Chan Kwok-ki, at the Opening Ceremony of Hong Kong Maritime Week 2024 cum World Maritime Merchants Forum 2024 today (November 18):

Honourable Vice-Chairman C Y Leung (Vice-Chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference), Director Zheng Yanxiong (Director of the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR)), Commissioner Cui Jianchun (Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China in the HKSAR), Vice Minister Fu Xuyin (Vice Minister of Transport), Chairman Miao Jianmin (Chairman of the China Merchants Group), distinguished guests, friends of the global maritime community, ladies and gentlemen,

Good afternoon. A very warm welcome to Hong Kong Maritime Week and the World Maritime Merchants Forum, which gets going, right here, immediately after our opening ceremony.

This is the eighth edition of Maritime Week, and I am delighted to say it is expected to draw some 14 500 professionals from all over the world.

The theme of this year's Maritime Week, "Navigating to a Greener Future", is a clear and compelling statement of our commitment to sustainability.

Throughout this week, you will want to take in some of the many seminars, workshops and related events spotlighting sustainability and our industry. That includes the Asian Logistics, Maritime and Aviation Conference, which opened this morning. And there is lots more on offer, from harbour and terminal tours and the Golf Cup, to lunches and networking cocktails, games, competitions and a diverse array of international, regional and local happenings. It is all part of Maritime Week 2024.

So is the World Maritime Merchants Forum, the fourth edition.

Indeed, the Forum has become a signature event promoting the global shipping industry chain.

This year's Forum tackles such critical topics as the role of ship finance in industrial transformation, the implications of new carbon-tax regulations and the transformative potential of artificial intelligence in driving digital change in shipping.

Our strategic location as a gateway to Asia, together with our sophisticated facilities and infrastructure, has been central to Hong Kong's rise as one of the world's busiest and most efficient ports.

In the latest International Shipping Centre Development Index, Hong Kong ranked fourth, overall, boasting more than 300 weekly international container-vessel sailings to nearly 500 destinations.

The average length of stay of container vessels in Hong Kong port is 0.95 days. That is about half the average of 1.85 days for the world's top 20 container ports. Our efficiency, I am pleased to say, has earned us the reputation of being a "catch-up port".

And our unique institutional strengths under "one country, two systems", together with our common law system, make Hong Kong an ideal hub for high-value-added maritime services.

We are determined to build on our maritime strengths, as the 2024 Policy Address, published last month, underlined.

Maritime initiatives outlined in the Policy Address include the establishment of the Hong Kong Maritime and Port Development Board. The high-level advisory body will assist the Government in developing policy and long-term strategy for the maritime sector.

The board will include representatives from the maritime industry, ensuring that our policies are informed by those who understand the industry best.

We will also promote the development of high-value-added maritime and professional services by encouraging shipping principals and maritime enterprises to establish a presence or expand in Hong Kong.

That means promoting the tax exemptions we introduced in the past few years for ship-leasing businesses and half-rate tax concessions for marine insurance, ship management, ship agency and ship broking. We will also look to enhance these concessions to ensure that they remain internationally attractive.

And we will explore tax measures to encourage commodity traders to look to Hong Kong for their future.

Talent is also critical to our future success. We will continue to invest in maritime service talent development, strengthening our collaboration with international marine insurance organisations. We will also expand the Maritime and Aviation Training Fund to cover more green energy courses and marine insurance examinations.

Sustainability – transforming Hong Kong into a green maritime centre – is at the heart of our policy priorities.

Earlier this year, our Marine Department began offering cash incentives for Hong Kong-registered ships that meet international decarbonisation standards. We will expand our promotion of this initiative, encouraging more ships to participate.

Our ambitions also include developing Hong Kong into a green maritime fuel-bunkering centre. Just a few days ago, we published our Action Plan on Green Maritime Fuel Bunkering. Our efforts include the development of essential infrastructure, promoting reduced port emissions, and providing incentives for the use of green maritime fuels. No less important, the Action Plan emphasises collaboration with Greater Bay Area ports and working to create green shipping corridors with other ports.

In short, it will fast track our progress as a green maritime centre.

Ladies and gentlemen, I wish you the best of business and pleasure at Maritime Week, a productive World Maritime Merchants Forum and smooth sailing in the coming year, whatever your course or destination.

Thank you.

Speech by Acting CE at Opening Ceremony of Hong Kong Maritime Week 2024 cum World Maritime Merchants Forum 2024 Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Speech by Acting CE at Opening Ceremony of Hong Kong Maritime Week 2024 cum World Maritime Merchants Forum 2024 Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

CSD hosts 42nd Asian and Pacific Conference of Correctional Administrators

​The 42nd Asian and Pacific Conference of Correctional Administrators (APCCA), hosted by the Correctional Services Department (CSD), opened today (November 18). About 140 correctional chiefs and representatives from 29 Asia-Pacific countries and regions, as well as representatives of relevant professional organisations, are attending the Conference to exchange views on correctional services and consolidate and foster regional co-operation.

The Deputy Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Cheuk Wing-hing; the Secretary for Security, Mr Tang Ping-keung; and the Commissioner of Correctional Services, Mr Wong Kwok-hing, officiated at the opening ceremony of the Conference.

In his opening speech, Mr Cheuk said that the theme of this year's APCCA is "Collaboration for Sustainable and High-quality Development", which highlights the determination of correctional officers from various places to advance and deepen regional co-operation, with a view to achieving high-quality development in the field of correction. He noted that the CSD has achieved remarkable results in the application of innovation and technology in the development of Smart Prison and the implementation of diversified rehabilitation programmes. During the Conference, the CSD will share its experiences and exchange views with counterparts from various places to promote and strengthen regional collaboration, thereby jointly enhancing the effectiveness of correctional work.

Mr Wong said in the ceremony that the CSD is honoured to host the Conference. He added that collaboration is a key element in the development of sustainable and high-quality development. The Conference provides an important platform for correctional practitioners from different places to exchange views and share valuable experiences, and to enhance co-operation among members, thereby injecting new impetus into sustainable and high-quality correctional work.

The agenda of the Conference, lasting from today to Thursday (November 21), will cover 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 will visit correctional institutions in Hong Kong to gain a better understanding of the unique advantages and the latest developments of Hong Kong's correctional system, including the development of Smart Prison projects and diversified rehabilitation programmes.

The APCCA is an annual conference that provides a platform for organisations and representatives engaged in correctional and prison work in the Asia-Pacific region to foster professional exchanges and co-operation on correctional services. Currently, members cover 25 countries with a total of 34 jurisdictions involved.

The CSD is one of the founding members of the APCCA and serves as the Joint Secretariat and Fund Administrator. The CSD has been promoting the development of the platform and exchanges among members, playing the role of an international link. The CSD hosted the first, 13th and 23rd APCCA in 1980, 1993 and 2003 respectively, and this is the fourth time it has served as host of the Conference.

CSD hosts 42nd Asian and Pacific Conference of Correctional Administrators Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

CSD hosts 42nd Asian and Pacific Conference of Correctional Administrators Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

CSD hosts 42nd Asian and Pacific Conference of Correctional Administrators Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

CSD hosts 42nd Asian and Pacific Conference of Correctional Administrators Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

CSD hosts 42nd Asian and Pacific Conference of Correctional Administrators Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases