Delegation of HKSAR Government and senior representatives of business sectors to visit GBA Mainland cities
A delegation of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government and senior representatives of business sectors will visit five Mainland cities of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA), namely Foshan, Guangzhou, Dongguan, Huizhou and Shenzhen, from next Monday to Wednesday (November 25 to 27) to further promote the HKSAR's co-operation with the Guangdong Province and GBA cities on business, trade and various industries.
The Chief Executive, Mr John Lee, will lead the delegation to Guangzhou on November 25 to attend theGuangdong-Hong Kong Deepening Economic, Trade and Investment Cooperation Conference co-organised by the People's Government of Guangdong Province and the HKSAR Government, exchanging views on how to enhance economic and trade investment and co-operation, and promote high-quality development in the GBA. He will then visit Foshan to meet with leaders of Foshan and return to Hong Kong on November 26.
Afterwards, the Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Chan Kwok-ki, will lead the delegation to visit five cities in the GBA to learn more about the successful experiences in the development and industrial planning of the Guangdong areas.
Mr Lee said that the Third Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China emphasised the need to deepen co-operation in the GBA, promoting closer alignment of rules and mechanisms, and better leveraging the GBA as a source of energy for high-quality development. The HKSAR will continue to deepen connections with Guangdong Province and various cities in the GBA, seizing the latest developments and opportunities in the GBA to further promote high-level economic and trade investment, and co-operation.
The delegation will comprise about 50 members, including over 30 senior representatives from large enterprises, financial institutions, and chambers of commerce in Hong Kong. The government official members of the delegation include the Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs, Mr Erick Tsang Kwok-wai; the Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury, Mr Christopher Hui; the Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development, Mr Algernon Yau; the Secretary for Transport and Logistics, Mr Lam Sai-hung;the Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry, Professor Sun Dong; and the Director of the Chief Executive's Office, Ms Carol Yip.
During Mr Lee's absence, the Financial Secretary, Mr Paul Chan, will be the Acting Chief Executive. During the absence of Mr Chan Kwok-ki, the Deputy Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Cheuk Wing-hing, will be the Acting Chief Secretary for Administration.
Speech by FS at Awards Presentation Ceremony and Dinner of the Hong Kong ICT Awards 2024
Following is the speech by the Financial Secretary, Mr Paul Chan, at the Awards Presentation Ceremony and Dinner of the Hong Kong ICT Awards 2024 today (November 22):
Professor Qin (Chairman of the Grand Judging Panel of the Hong Kong ICT Awards 2024 and the President of Lingnan University, Professor Joe Qin), 萬寧副部長 (the Deputy Director-General of the Youth Department of the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, Ms Wan Ning), Dong (Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry, Professor Sun Dong), ladies and gentlemen,
Good evening. I am pleased to join you tonight, for the annual, and much anticipated, Hong Kong Information and Communications Technology Awards Presentation Ceremony. Let me first congratulate the winners, and finalists of this prestigious award. Your dedicationandachievementsare an inspiration to practitioners, entrepreneurs and students, to the innovation and technology industries, and to us all.
For 18 years now, the HKICT Awards has celebrated the exceptional achievements of individuals and organisations in a diversity of sectors and businesses.They put a deserved spotlight on the remarkable talent, creativity and dedication of people seeking to harness technology to reinvent products and services, to improve efficiency, to offer better care to the needy, and ultimately to make our lives and the world better.
In just a few minutes, we'll know all about those elite achievers - and their innovative applications and solutions.
This year's award, I'm pleased to note, introducesa new "Best Use of AI Award" in all eightcategories,to recognise and honourthe efforts of those harnessing the power of AI (artificial intelligence) to transformourbusinesses andways of living.
The HKSAR (Hong Kong Special Administrative Region) Government, too, believes in the vast potential of AI. It is a sweeping force in boosting productivity and enhancing the competitiveness of the economy. We believe AI can become a strategic pillar of our innovation and technology sector. Andwe have been working on multiple fronts to make it thrive.That includessupporting R&D (research and development), nurturing start-ups, fostering cross-boundary and cross-industry collaboration, attracting strategic enterprises,and building the related infrastructure, includinga supercomputing centre.
But above all, it is people and talent thatmatter,if we are to realise this vision. We mustraise the AI literacy and preparedness of ourcommunity. That has to take a whole-of-society approach,starting withchildren’s education,integrating AI into school and university curricula, and supporting the training of professionals and continuous learning.
My thanks to the organisers of the Hong Kong ICT Awards,andto the high-profile judges of the eight award categories. Your expertise and commitment to excellence can only inspire the continuing growth and success of our innovation and technology industry - and the economy, and community, of Hong Kong.
Ladies and gentlemen, I know you will enjoy this very special evening and the good company all about you.
Thank you.
