Dynamic Innovation in Hong Kong

The 2026 World Internet Conference Asia-Pacific Summit was recently held in Hong Kong. The theme of the summit was “Empowering Innovation through Digital Intelligence - Building a Community of Shared Future in Cyberspace Together.” Nearly a thousand guests from over 50 countries and regions shared insights on cutting-edge topics such as intelligent innovation, AI safety governance, and digital health, exploring new paths for digital development and opportunities for cooperation in the Asia-Pacific region.

Seizing New Development Opportunities

Participants unanimously agreed that artificial intelligence is a significant driving force behind a new round of technological revolution and industrial transformation, profoundly impacting global economic development and human civilization. All parties should work together to deepen open cooperation and ensure that the benefits of AI development are shared among people across different countries and regions.

Zhuang Rongwen, Chairman of the World Internet Conference and Director of the Cyberspace Administration of China, stated that the new round of technological revolution and industrial transformation is accelerating, with new technologies such as AI, big data, and cloud computing becoming key to restructuring global resource allocation, reshaping industrial ecosystems, and redefining the global economic landscape. Countries in the Asia-Pacific region are increasingly viewing digital transformation as a common choice to seize new development opportunities and create competitive advantages.

Ministers from over ten countries, including Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia, and Tonga, emphasized the need for collaborative innovation to ensure that the benefits of digital and intelligent development serve the people better.

The CEO of the Global System for Mobile Communications (GSMA), Hong Yaozhuang, noted that AI technology has rapidly evolved from a tool for processing information to a large-scale application in just over a decade. Future efforts should focus on enhancing cross-sector collaboration to promote innovation and share results.

Financial Secretary of the Hong Kong SAR, Paul Chan, remarked that the internet is transitioning from “digital connectivity” to “intelligent connectivity.” The “intelligent era” holds vast development potential, and all parties need to strengthen communication, share experiences, and expand practical cooperation to ensure that technological progress remains on a sustainable, responsible, and inclusive path. Hong Kong is willing to deepen cooperation with international partners to seize this historical opportunity.

Gathering Diverse Experiences

As AI deeply integrates into various industries, issues such as cybersecurity and personal information protection have become focal points of the summit. How to address these new challenges? The summit gathered diverse experiences and wisdom to strengthen cybersecurity, data protection, and AI safety governance, which became a consensus among participants.

“While AI has aided decision-making in many fields, it should be controlled by humans, and final decisions must be made by people,” Chan explained. In Hong Kong, the “sandbox mechanism” has become a hallmark of cross-industry regulation, allowing regulatory bodies to collaborate with innovators to test new tools in a controlled environment, identify risks early, and provide timely and practical feedback.

Mohammed Al-Shuwaier, Deputy Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources of Saudi Arabia, emphasized the need for transparency, accountability, privacy protection, and security when introducing AI into public services, businesses, and industrial value chains. AI should enhance human capabilities rather than create chaos or undermine trust. He called for practical cooperation in technology research and standard-setting to build a correct and healthy ecosystem.

“The ethical risks and technological uncertainties brought by AI require the international community to reach a consensus on governance principles,” said Wu Dong, Chief Engineer of the Cyberspace Administration of China. He advocated for cross-border and cross-sector communication and collaboration to collectively address the challenges posed by AI, ensuring algorithm fairness and data transparency, so that technological development always promotes human welfare.

Highlighting Unique Advantages

Hong Kong hosted this event for the second consecutive year and organized multiple innovation and technology-themed activities during the summit, further showcasing its unique advantages as an international innovation and technology hub.

“AI has become one of the key industries prioritized for development in Hong Kong,” said Zhang Manli, Deputy Secretary for Innovation and Technology of the Hong Kong SAR Government, at a special summit event for government-business exchanges. Leveraging its international business environment and data flow advantages, Hong Kong is developing into an AI hub that connects global technological innovation trends. The SAR Government’s budget for the fiscal year 2025/2026 explicitly proposes the establishment of the Hong Kong AI Research Institute to promote upstream research, result transformation, and application scenario expansion.

Peng Wenjun, Executive President of the Office for Attracting Key Enterprises, stated that over the past few years, the SAR Government has implemented comprehensive policy support from startup research and development to advanced manufacturing and market entry. The office has fully cooperated to provide one-stop services for enterprises, aiming to establish Hong Kong as an international innovation and technology center. Data shows that the office has successfully attracted over 120 key enterprises, expected to drive an investment of HKD 73 billion and create approximately 25,000 jobs.

Sun Dong, Secretary for Innovation and Technology of the Hong Kong SAR Government, remarked that in the wave of digital transformation, technological innovation and international cooperation are essential for sustainable development. Hong Kong has a solid cooperation mechanism, serving as both an international financial and technological center while playing a vital role in the construction of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. In the future, Hong Kong will fully leverage its unique role as a “super connector” and “super value adder” to promote regional collaborative innovation, helping the Greater Bay Area become a world-class innovation hub.