In the age of AI, Hong Kong’s strategy as a ‘superconnector’ is progressing

Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu said the city’s high-quality economic development would be guided by its first five-year blueprint, in tandem with the nation’s 15th five-year plan, and by his coming policy address, with AI as “a central plank”.

The government has launched a public consultation on its five-year plan, which will project the city’s vision for the Northern Metropolis, the advancement of innovation and technology, and the development of finance, shipping and trade. Along with the final policy address of his five-year term, Lee said the plan would “guide our high-quality economic progress and [improve] the livelihood of the people”. An area of importance was the further development of Hong Kong as an international innovation and technology centre. “In that development, artificial intelligence is a central plank,” Lee added.

Separately, Lee made major announcements on gold and yuan trading at the Hong Kong FIC & Bond Connect Summit. These policy changes further entrench Hong Kong’s status as an international finance centre and a bridge for the mainland and its businesses. This was also a key theme at the China Conference.

Lee set the tone for panellists at the China Conference who highlighted the potential for Hong Kong to leverage its role as a superconnector to the Greater Bay Area, which links Hong Kong, Macau and nine southern China cities in an economic powerhouse.

Top RISC-V scientist and an advocate of international collaboration, Dr Qi Xiaoning, vice-president of Alibaba Group Holding which owns the SCMP, said collaboration was already happening in the RISC-V industry. RISC-V is an open-standard instruction set architecture (ISA) that China’s chip designers have embraced. Qi believes that with an open market, and sound financial and legal certainty, Hong Kong can attract global talent.