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No.4 April, 2025 |
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World Internet Conference Asia-Pacific Summit
The World Internet Conference Asia-Pacific Summit was held from 14 to 15 April at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. Under the theme “Integration of AI and Digital Technologies Shaping the Future - Jointly Building a Community with a Shared Future in Cyberspace”, the two-day Summit attracted nearly 1 000 participants from Hong Kong and abroad. The participants engaged in in-depth exchanges and shared experiences on promoting high-quality development in innovation and technology (I&T), strengthening regional digital collaboration, and fostering new momentum and new advantages for the development of the Asia-Pacific region. The programme featured an opening ceremony and a government-enterprise dialogue session, followed by a main forum on the digital intelligence future. The Summit also included a briefing on Practice Cases and Awards for Pioneering Science and Technology, as well as a workshop on AI governance and sustainable development, promoting further dialogue and collaboration in related fields. The Summit continued on 15 April with three sub-forums and a series of affiliated activities.
See the Chief Executive’s speech here.
See the Financial Secretary’s speech here. |
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Hong Kong Hosts 2025 Fragrant Hills Tourism Summit to Drive Global Tourism Collaboration and City Branding
Hong Kong hosted the World Tourism Cities Federation (WTCF) Fragrant Hills Tourism Summit from 14 to 17 April, under the theme “Innovate City Branding to Elevate Tourism Excellence”. The event brought together representatives from over 60 cities and 43 countries to discuss high-quality tourism development and city branding strategies. Jointly organised by the WTCF and the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau of the HKSAR Government, the Summit featured a rich lineup of activities, including an opening ceremony, the Mayors' Forum and thematic discussions, providing an excellent starting point, enabling all the attending guests to conduct in-depth discussions around inter-city cooperation on how to drive the high-quality development of the tourism industry.
See the Chief Executive’s speech here.
See the Financial Secretary’s speech here. |
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Government steps up support for enterprises in coping with US tariffs
The Commerce and Economic Development Bureau on 10 April announced enhanced support measures in light of the United States’ continued and unjustified imposition of tariffs, including the escalation of so-called reciprocal tariffs. The Hong Kong Export Credit Insurance Corporation will introduce a new round of enhanced measures to support the export trade in Hong Kong and help enterprises expedite expansion into new markets. The three enhanced measures include: (1) extending the free pre-shipment cover for holders of the Small Business Policy (SBP), which is tailor-made for small and medium enterprises until June 30, 2026; (2) offering a 50 per cent discount on pre-shipment risks to cover premiums for non-SBP holders; and (3) reducing the premium rates for new markets to be in line with those for traditional major markets to reduce the costs and support exporters in tapping into the ASEAN market.
More details here. |
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OASES announces new batch of strategic enterprises establishing or expanding in Hong Kong
The Office for Attracting Strategic Enterprises (OASES) held the OASES Enterprises Signing Ceremony on 8 April to welcome a new batch of strategic enterprises establishing or expanding their operations in Hong Kong, with over 200 guests attending. In the presence of the Financial Secretary, Mr Paul Chan, the enterprises signed agreements to become strategic enterprise partners of the Government officially. The new batch includes 18 strategic enterprises from high-tech industries such as advanced manufacturing and new energy technology, AI and data science, fintech, and life and health technology. Together with the 66 strategic enterprises previously attracted, they will invest about $50 billion in total in the years to come, creating over 20 000 jobs. In his speech, Mr Chan said that the strategic enterprises not only bring investments, jobs and expertise, their presence will also support Hong Kong’s vision of becoming an international I&T centre. Through Hong Kong’s platform, these enterprises can expand their businesses to various new markets.
More details here.
See the Financial Secretary’s speech here. |
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Hong Kong Immigration Department wins 2025 Skytrax Award for Best Airport Immigration Service
The Hong Kong Immigration Department (ImmD) has been voted the winner of the 2025 Skytrax Award for Best Airport Immigration Service in the World Passenger Survey commissioned by Skytrax, an international specialist research agent of the air transport industry. This marks the fifth time the ImmD has received the award, having previously won in 2015, 2016, 2019 and 2020, affirming its ongoing dedication to providing top-quality immigration clearance services. Looking ahead, the ImmD will continue to strive for excellence by leveraging innovative technologies to introduce more facilitation measures and deliver the best immigration services to passengers, reinforcing Hong Kong’s status as an international aviation hub while actively supporting the city’s overall development.
More details here. |
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HKETO brings Cantonese opera to Australian audiences
HKETO proudly supported the Sing Fai Cantonese Opera Promotion Association in staging two performances of “Sing Fai Sydney Cultural Exchange: Advancing the Cantonese Opera Heritage” in Sydney on Good Friday (18 April) to showcase the charm of Cantonese opera to Australian audiences, and promote cultural exchange between Hong Kong and Australia. The performances featured over 20 Hong Kong young performers, and their excellent skills and passion for Cantonese opera left a lasting impression on the 700 audience. In her welcoming remarks, the Head of Public Relations of HKETO Sydney, Ms Jane Liu, said that the Government attaches great importance to the development of Cantonese opera and has all along been providing active support to the transmission, study, promotion and continuous development of Cantonese opera. She also highlighted Hong Kong’s role as an East-meets-West centre for international cultural exchange under the National 14th Five-Year Plan, and added that the Government would continue to make every effort to establish world-class cultural facilities and a pluralistic cultural environment. |
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HKETO supports the 2025 Australian Dragon Boat Championships
HKETO supported the Australian Dragon Boat Championships held in Penrith from 26 April to 1 May to showcase Hong Kong’s vibrancy and distinctive cultural heritage. Speaking at the Welcome Function on 26 April, the Director of HKETO Sydney, Mr Ricky Chong, highlighted the deep cultural roots of dragon boat racing in Hong Kong and the city’s continued efforts to promote sports tourism. He also outlined upcoming international events to be hosted at the new Kai Tak Sports Park, including the Volleyball Nations League in June, the Hong Kong Football Festival in July and the Ultimate Tennis Showdown (UTS) Hong Kong in October. Mr Chong reaffirmed HKETO’s commitment to supporting dragon boat events in Australia, reflecting the enduring ties and strong community spirit between Hong Kong and Australia. |
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Chinese Culture Festival 2025 (Hong Kong)
Experience the richness of Chinese heritage at the Chinese Culture Festival 2025, taking place in Hong Kong from June to September. Organised by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department, the Festival features over 280 performing arts programmes with a rich array of specially curated extension activities, film screenings, exhibitions, as well as community and school activities. Top-notch Mainland art groups and artists will also be invited to perform in Hong Kong and engage in various cultural exchange activities.
More details here. |
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WOW Summit (Hong Kong)
Taking place from 28 to 29 May in Hong Kong, the WOW Summit is a flagship event designed to engage a vibrant global Web3 community eager to explore, shape, and influence the future of blockchain technology and digital innovation. At its core, the Summit showcases the most advanced progress of innovation and collaborations. Every detail of the event is meticulously crafted to unveil the intricacies of Web3 with a comprehensive platform for learning, discussion, and network-building.
More details here. |
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2025 Hong Kong International Dragon Boat Races (Hong Kong)
Join the excitement of the Hong Kong International Dragon Boat Races from 7 to 8 June, where audience can witness legendary dragon boat races off the Tsim Sha Tsui East Promenade. Thousands of dragon boat athletes worldwide will come and compete for glory against the backdrop of Hong Kong’s iconic skyline.
More details here. |
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Volleyball Nations League Hong Kong 2025 (Hong Kong)
From 18 to 22 June, Hong Kong will host the Volleyball Nations League, featuring a new tournament format. Six national teams—China, Italy, Japan, Thailand, the Czech Republic, and Bulgaria—will compete in 12 matches over five days. Organised by the Volleyball Association of Hong Kong, China, this event offers fans an exciting opportunity to witness top-tier international volleyball action.
More details here. |
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