Hong Kong's financial secretary said on Friday that the special administrative region government will promote the digital economy in the city through strengthening overall policy coordination, bolstering digital infrastructure, facilitating local and cross-boundary data flow, expediting digital transformation, and developing a sustainable technology talent strategy. Paul Chan Mo-po made the pledge at the Digital Economy Summit, which has gathered 4,000 Hong Kong, mainland and overseas technology professionals. The event, which ends on Saturday, was organized by the Innovation, Technology and Industry Bureau, the Office of the Government Chief Information Officer and Hong Kong Cyberport. Chan said the Digital Policy Office will be established this year to formulate and implement effective digital policies. At the same time, the government will strengthen the development of digital infrastructure such as enhancing the use and coverage of 5G networks, further promoting electronic payments and rolling out the business version of “iAM Smart”. “Hong Kong is now building a supercomputing center that will serve the computing power needs of enterprises, academic and research institutions. The first phase of its service will be rolled out as soon as within this year,” said Chan. “On cross-boundary data flow, this is an area where Hong Kong enjoys unique advantages under the ‘one country, two systems’ arrangement. Hong Kong is where data from the mainland and around the world would converge. Hong Kong has long enjoyed unfettered access to international data while the city is making progress in cross-boundary flow of data with the mainland,” Chan argued. “We see clear potential for international data trading to become a new and thriving industry in the city. We have commissioned an expert group to study how best to develop a robust data-trading system in Hong Kong,” he added. Chan said local and cross-boundary data flow drives more public and private cross-boundary services, such as encouraging more research and development activities in artificial intelligence as well as life and health technologies in Hong Kong. In the business sector, the administration will extend the coverage of the Commercial Data Interchange run by the Hong Kong Monetary Authority. This initiative had facilitated more than 13,000 loan applications with a total loan amount of around HK$12 billion ($1.53 billion) at the end of last year. The finance chief also noted the government will support and incentivize the city’s small- and medium-sized enterprises in adopting electronic options through providing necessary information and skills training. And it will continue to attract, retain and cultivate digital talent through enhancing education and training, and also work to enhance digital literacy and competency for the whole community. At the summit, Wang Song, vice-minister of the Cyberspace Administration of China, said: “As of last year, the number of internet users in the country has reached 1.092 billion, and the scale of the digital economy has exceeded 50 trillion yuan ($6.91 trillion), accounting for 41.5 percent of gross domestic product, with online retail sales of 15.42 trillion yuan, and mobile payment penetration rate reaching 86 percent.” The vice-minister recommended five strategies for developing the digital economy through promoting the integration of digital and real industries; accelerating the research and development application of big data, and artificial intelligence in industry, education, finance and other scenarios; leveraging Hong Kong’s niches as a top international talent hub; activating the value of the elements of data in cementing AI governance work; and strengthening talent training and exchanges.
2024-04-12The 48th Hong Kong International Film Festival is packed with firsts — from a tete-a-tete with Oscar-nominated director Martin McDonagh to a concert featuring music composed on the spot. Mathew Scott reports. The ongoing 48th edition of Hong Kong International Film Festival has certainly cast its net wide in curating a program that boasts more than 190 films from 62 countries and regions. The festival is hosting five world premieres, six international premieres and 64 Asian premieres across its 12-day run. From the outset, the festival’s ambition has been to cater to those interested in the craft of filmmaking. This year HKIFF’s ever-popular master classes featured the British-Irish multiple Oscar-nominee Martin McDonagh (The Banshees of Inisherin, 2022) and talks by the likes of veteran Spanish director Victor Erice (The Spirit of the Beehive, 1973). Albert Lee, executive director of the Hong Kong International Film Festival Society, which runs the annual HKIFF, is pleased to have engineered McDonagh’s maiden Hong Kong visit. “Over the past decade, I have talked to many Asian and Chinese filmmakers, and they all think very, very highly of Martin. I know a lot of people who are excited by the chance to see him and Erice. Both of them always have a lot to share about their films and also filmmaking in general. It’s a great chance for young filmmakers to learn from them,” Lee says. Weird and wonderful The festival opened with Ray Yeung’s All Shall Be Well (2024), a film about a lesbian couple in their 60s. It had won the Teddy Award for best LGBTQ-themed feature film at the 74th Berlin International Film Festival in February. Fruit Chan is this year’s filmmaker in focus, and the festival is screening 10 of his films, including Durian Durian (2000) and The Abortionist (2019). The eight films selected for the Firebird Awards’ Young Cinema Competition (Chinese Language) include three that focus on the lives of the Chinese diaspora — Kurt Yuen’s Fresh Off Markham (2024), A Song Sung Blue (2023) by Geng Zihan and Chong Keat-aun’s Snow in Midsummer (2020). Lee is keen to have the future generation of Hong Kong filmmakers check out the sometimes weird and generally wonderful world created by the French provocateur Jean Eustache. The festival is showing three of his feature films — A Dirty Story (1977), screened together with the short, The Photos of Alix (1980); My Little Loves (1974); and The Mother and the Whore (1973). Boost for emerging talents At the Hong Kong Filmart held in March — often regarded as an unofficial industry warmup for the HKIFF — the big news was that the local film and television industry would soon receive a HK$5 billion ($639 million) boost via a five-year Hong Kong Cultural and Art Industry Revitalization Program driven by the e-commerce and entertainment giant Alibaba. There was also encouragement for emerging filmmakers in the form of awards at the annual Hong Kong-Asia Film Financing Forum (HAF) program (see sidebar) and a new HKIFF Industry-CAA China Genre Initiative to promote the more commercially leaning works of Chinese cinema. “It all seems to be happening,” Lee says. “The industry has been very busy. We are working closely with the talent agency CAA China toward promoting genre films and that is a first for Hong Kong. We hope to encourage more Chinese-language filmmakers to become involved.” Instant music The Asian premiere of Gift — a unique live collaboration between Japanese Oscar-winner Ryusuke Hamaguchi (Drive My Car, 2021) and his go-to composer Eiko Ishibashi, on March 30 — was a festival highlight. Ishibashi composes an extempore soundtrack during the show, as she responds to images cut from Hamaguchi’s Evil Does Not Exist (2023) — their most recent film together. “I don’t see these images before the concert, only react to them in the moment, and the audience can react to both things,” Ishibashi explains. She hopes that the experience can help broaden the horizons of the audience in terms of what constitutes a cinematic experience. “I like to explore new things, and new ways of presenting my work, and I think that is an important part of being featured at a film festival where you should always try something new,” Ishibashi says. The festival draws to a close on Monday, with Japanese director Shô Miyake’s achingly romantic All the Long Nights (2024) making its Asian premiere.
2024-04-05Since its inception some 24 years ago, the Hong Kong-Asia Film Financing Forum (HAF) has supported promising independent films in the development or postproduction stage. This year was no exception. “We want to help people get their films made” is how Jacob Wong, director of the Hong Kong International Film Festival Industry Office, explains the program. There were 26 in-development projects and 15 works-in-progress vying for awards at the HAF this year. Announced on March 13 — during a ceremony held as part of the annual Hong Kong Filmart industry gathering — the winning entries reflected the wide diversity in content that continues to drive the Asian film industry. The awardees included a Hong Kong-set vampire horror with an Indian lead character (Shreyom Ghosh’s The Vampire of Sheung Shui), a sweeping drama looking at the dualities of life in the present-day Inner Mongolia autonomous region (Jiang Xiaoxuan’s To Kill a Mongolian Horse), and a film about a character made out of feces coming to life (Brian Tse’s The Excreman — On the Road), produced by Hong Kong’s famed McDull franchise. Seeing that previous HAF-backed successes include the box-office smash Dying to Survive (2018) and the critically acclaimed martial arts actioner Barbarian Invasion (2021), the new awardees are in good company. Wong says that there are both art-house and commercial ventures among this year’s awardees. “The range this year was quite exciting, and we are happy to embrace the more commercial projects. I think that is just the way people do business in Asia and it also makes sense because the Hong Kong film industry is very commercial in nature.” This year, the HAF was held under the HKIFF Industry Project Market banner, along with the first edition of the HKIFF Industry-CAA China Genre Initiative for Chinese-language projects. Five projects featured in the new initiative, with prizes going to the comedies Call of Lobster, by Yin Chen-hao, and Dying Fire, by Gao Linyang, for their “compelling narratives and bold use of dramatic elements”. For Wong, the new initiative makes creative as well as logistical sense. “Increasingly, we are doing business with the Chinese mainland and we want to continue to explore the market there,” he says. “The idea is and always has been to help aspiring filmmakers, and when we see any of these projects actually getting made, it just makes everyone involved very happy.” If you go Hong Kong International Film Festival Dates: Through April 8 Venue: Various venues www.hkiff.org.hk/
2024-04-05Though we’re more than halfway through the 48th Hong Kong International Film Festival, there’s still a chance to catch some of the entries on the festival’s expanding documentary program. In the decades since Robert Flaherty willfully blurred the line between fiction and reality in his Nanook of the North (1922), the documentary has never been more popular — thanks largely to Netflix and its bottomless supply of true crime mini-series and docudramas that have turned attention to the form. As the world of streaming — where some of HKIFF’s titles will undoubtedly find homes — broadens exponentially, theatrical documentaries “are increasingly asking where the boundaries between documentary and drama are,” says HKIFF programmer Mimi Wong. She cites Valeria Sarmiento’s archive-based doc on the rediscovery and restoration of Raúl Ruiz’s 1973 satire Socialist Realism. The Pinochet-led military coup in Chile led to Ruiz fleeing his country, while his film got left behind on the editing table. Wong says Sarmiento’s restored 2023 version of the film is “half-documentary and half-drama, and when audiences see the film they’ll be wondering what’s real”. Wong’s co-programmer, Geoffrey Wong, notes that “there’s been an uptick in docs about war and correctness, and these are hot topics”. But then, he reminds us, that documentaries do not necessarily have to be about what’s trending. The HKIFF has nearly two dozen docs in the lineup this year, ranging from “standard” documentary films to the formally experimental and personal self-examinations. Among the standouts are journalist Shiori Ito’s Black Box Diaries. In 2015, Ito was raped by a powerful and popular reporter, and the film tracks her search for justice. Black Box Diaries unfolds against the backdrop of the #MeToo movement beginning to gather momentum, and long-held attitudes toward sexual violence and harassment being re-examined. Equally feminist yet structurally opposed to Ito’s film is Klára Tasovská’s I’m Not Everything I Want to Be, in many ways a deeply personal and probing biography of Czech photographer Libuše Jarcovjáková. The film pulls away from the tradition of compiling archival materials. Instead, Jarcovjáková is shown reading from her diaries and reflecting on the Prague Spring of 1968, her life in West Germany, her self-image as a woman, and her search for identity. In Moroccan filmmaker Asmae El Moudir’s The Mother of All Lies, identity comes with a price. In trying to re-create the Casablanca neighborhood of her youth, she uncovers buried traumas and a conspiracy of silence that upends her family and national history. Ibrahim Nash’at’s Hollywoodgate, on the other hand, addresses a concern that’s more immediate in his chronicle of the 2021 transfer of power in Afghanistan. The film shadows Air Force commander Mawlawi Mansour with unprecedented access, resulting in a chilling portrait of authoritarian rule. Closer to home, directors Donna Ong and Wong Siu-pong couldn’t be farther apart stylistically, but each reveals a slice of Hong Kong life frequently overlooked. In Ong’s Cinema Strada, viewers are invited to take a look back at the city’s cinema culture — or the lack of it — in the ’60s and how critic, curator, researcher and filmmaker Law Kar almost singlehandedly changed that. Uncle Kar, as he’s known, ruminates on the past 80 years of Hong Kong movies and suggests how they could help alleviate stress. Wong’s Obedience peels back the layers on Hung Hom, one of Hong Kong’s most complex neighborhoods. Rich and poor, sparkling towers and grimy alleys, the living and the dead butt up against each other in Wong’s five-year document of a fast-changing urban jungle.
2024-04-05Tech-savvy gurus and risk-takers in blockchain-based, third-generation internet (Web3) are hailing technological advances in virtual reality and artificial intelligence as key drivers of the digital world. While agreeing that people’s lives are becoming more entwined with virtual spaces, they also hold great expectations for Hong Kong’s role in blurring the border separating the physical and digital realms. At the World of Web3 (WOW) Summit in Hong Kong, Elio D’Anna, co-founder of the UK-based House of Fine Art Gallery and CEO of Kreation.io, said that the days of being tethered to a smartphone may be numbered. Instead, he envisioned a future where human beings will live in a more immersive, three-dimensional reality that seamlessly integrates the digital and physical worlds. “This new reality will be powered by innovative devices that are connected through nonfungible tokens (NFTs) and cloud nodes, enabling users to stream and experience a digital world that is deeply intertwined with the physical one,” he told a panel session co-organized by China Daily titled “Emerging Trends in NFTs and the Metaverse”. Echoing his remarks, Gillian Pua, head of marketing and communications of BreederDAO — a Philippines-based digital assets provider for blockchain-based games — said the sector is waiting for innovations in virtual reality applications to play an increasingly crucial role to shape the world of tomorrow. She said people are witnessing a gradual shift towards a more virtual world, driven by reliance on the internet and social media platforms as well as emerging projects in the metaverse — an immersive digital realm where people can interact via avatars. The creation of innovative hardware is essential in pushing people closer to a seamless virtual experience, she said, citing the example of tech giants like Apple and Samsung, who are striving to create the best hardware that will make the digital playground more lifelike and engaging. During the same discussion, Emil Chan, co-chair of the Hong Kong Digital Finance Association, said Hong Kong has the potential to become a digital asset trading center, serving as a superconnector between the virtual and real worlds. His remarks highlight the city’s unique position and the need for a mature ecosystem to facilitate seamless transactions between digital assets and traditional financial systems. “Hong Kong’s historical role as a trading hub between East and West has positioned the city to leverage its expertise in bridging different markets,” Chan said. “As the world embraces digital assets, such as NFTs and cryptocurrencies, Hong Kong has the opportunity to extend its role as a superconnector to the virtual realm.” Chan noted the importance of creating a system that allows for easy “on-ramping” and “off-ramping” between the virtual and real worlds. This would enable investors to transfer their money into digital assets, creating value in both realms. By developing a mature ecosystem that supports such transactions, Hong Kong could become a center for digital asset trading, serving as a gateway for investors to enter and exit the metaverse, he added. However, to achieve this goal, Chan highlighted the need for stable regulation and the transformation of the traditional financial system. He pointed to the example of the Hong Kong dollar, which has been pegged to the US dollar since 1983, as a model for stability. If a digital currency is issued by renowned banks such as HSBC or Bank of China, it would inject greater confidence among investors, compared to those issued by commercial companies with less transparency, he said. Alexy Joven, co-founder of Modjo, a Paris-based startup specializing in Web3 and Web2 business branding and expansion, shed light on the transformative power of NFTs in the world of marketing. He noted the potential of NFTs to help startups grow without relying on traditional advertising methods, offering a fresh perspective on audience targeting and customer retention. His suggestion challenges the conventional wisdom of casting a wide net to reach a large audience. Instead, he advocates a more targeted strategy, focusing on a smaller group of around 2,000 people. By offering NFTs for free, backed by real value, startups can create a viral effect, generating buzz and attracting a targeted community of users, he said. “You give NFTs for free. … People want it, (and) speak about it. It goes viral, you have … a new community, (receive) better attention and then increase your revenue,” Joven said. Maria Ivina, founder of Satori Me which promotes the synergy of art, ecology, and technology, stressed the importance of synergy between Web3 technologies and sustainable living. Citing the metaverse as an example, she said the virtual space offers opportunities to organize exhibitions, conferences, and gatherings that leverage digital art to draw attention to eco-problems. “I’m very positive about that because I know a lot of people who do care about our planet. And new technologies are a very important part of our life,” she said. WOW Summit Hong Kong 2024, held on March 26 and 27 at AsiaWorld Expo, is a flagship event for the city to raise its profile in the global Web3 community. With over 7,000 attendees, including officials, entrepreneurs, and venture capitalists, the event has served as a sounding board for Web3 players, allowing them to pick each other’s brains on NFT investment, blockchain technology, content creation in the metaverse and virtual asset regulation.
2024-03-26HONG KONG – The 48th edition of the Hong Kong International Film Festival – which will run from March 28 to April 8 – will feature 194 movies from 62 countries and regions. There will be total 307 screenings in various cinemas across the city, the organizers said at a press conference in the city on Friday. Cinephiles in Hong Kong will have the opportunity to meet award-winning filmmakers during the festival. They include Irish writer-director Martin McDonagh and Spanish maestro Victor Erice, as well as Zar Amir, the first Iranian female actress to win Best Actress award at the Cannes Film Festival. "As transportation has resumed after COVID-19, more world-renowned directors and movie writers will come to Hong Kong for the festival to engage with movie lovers by giving masterclasses and sharing their filmmaking experience," Wilfred Wong, chairman of the Hong Kong International Film Festival Society, said at the press conference. Japanese multi-instrumentalist and composer Ishibashi Eiko will give a live performance on March 30. She composed music for director Hamaguchi’s Evil does not exist and the silent film GIFT was created to accompany her live performance. Other than global movie professionals, local filmmakers will also get the spotlight during the annual festival. The festival will kick off with a new local movie, All shall be well, which has won the Teddy Award at the 74th Berlin International Film Festival in February. Director Ray Yeung, whose another award-winning movie is Suk Suk, captured the bittersweet story about the inheritance right of a partner of a lesbian couple in Hong Kong, where the partner passed away and the other one lost all of her assets due to the lack of legal protection for same-sex couples, and more importantly, love and care from her partner’s family members and relatives in her twilight years. Hong Kong independent film pioneer Fruit Chan has been picked as "the filmmaker in focus" for this year's festival, showcasing his early work of the 1997 trilogy Made in Hong Kong, The Longest Summer and Little Cheung, as well as his recent works. Renowned actress Karena Lam has been named as the ambassador for the 48th edition of the event. “I feel very honored for being recognized for my contribution to Hong Kong’s movie industry for more than 20 years," Lam, a ceramics enthusiast, said at the press conference. Other than screening of new and restored classic movies, budding talents will also compete for the Firebird Awards for outstanding movies, short film and documentaries. The participating works will also be screened during the festival. Tickets will be available for purchase starting from 10 am on Tuesday on the HKIFF official website. The HKIFF is Asia’s longest-running platform for filmmakers, film professionals, and filmgoers worldwide to launch new work and experience outstanding films.
2024-03-08As the global decarbonization drive gains pace, Hong Kong is poised to capitalize on the massive sustainability business opportunities and lead the green-technology charge, officials and experts said at the Hong Kong GreenTech Summit 2024 on Monday. “The potential for global green development is immense, and Hong Kong will not be absent in this wave,” Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po told a conference hall packed with business leaders, venture capitalists and academics. The finance chief’s words came as countries worldwide are striving to promote green and low-carbon transformation — a trend that is fundamentally changing the development model that previously emphasized growth while overlooking social costs. Clean energy is a case in point. According to the finance chief, global investments in the single sector last year were estimated at $1.7 trillion, surpassing oil-related upstream industries for the first time. In the finance chief’s budget last year, Chan put forward the vision of forging Hong Kong into a global hub for both green technology and finance to capitalize on the booming transformation. For officials, the city’s strengths in its complete funding ecosystem, research capabilities, and international connectivity are the prerequisites for a bright tomorrow of the city’s greentech ambition. From venture capital and private equity funds to listing platforms, Hong Kong has long been seen as a prime fundraising center to meet the financing needs of startups and companies at different stages. “Hong Kong also offers high-quality professional services, playing a crucial role in facilitating connections between the Chinese mainland and international standards, green project certifications, and the like,” Chan said. Meanwhile, hundreds of attendees thronged exhibition stalls of about 50 greentech startups from local, mainland and overseas at the venue, including those involving carbon capture, storage solutions and green financing. Addressing the greentech gathering, Ma Jun, chairman of the Hong Kong Green Finance Association, said Hong Kong’s local decarbonization market opportunities could reach HK$5 trillion ($639 billion) due to substantial investment needs in areas such as transportation, shipping, and buildings. “Hong Kong can further pioneer demonstration projects in green construction, low-carbon transportation and the circular economy while constructing a robust ecosystem to attract greentech enterprises from the Chinese mainland and abroad through promoting incubation and acceleration policies, concessional finance and innovative use cases,” Ma said. The greentech summit kicked off a vast array of sustainability-themed events and discussions under the Hong Kong Green Week, which began on Monday. On the heels of it will be the “Climate Business Forum: Asia-Pacific”, co-hosted by the Hong Kong Monetary Authority and the International Finance Corp, on Tuesday and Wednesday. According to officials, the six-day campaign is expected to attract about 5,000 attendees from across the globe. Chinese Academy of Engineering academician He Kebin said that it is crucial to boost international collaboration and green finance strength to catalyze innovations while helping product marketing. Approximately half of these technologies, especially in energy storage and hydrogen energy, are still in the process of maturing and reaching the commercial stage, He said. Leveraging Hong Kong’s historical position as an international financial center, its proximity with the mainland, and its edges in carbon neutrality technologies will play a unique role in coordinating global climate efforts and unlocking significant commercial opportunities, he added. Adair Turner, chairman of the Energy Transitions Commission, said China is a leader in the reduction in wind turbine costs, battery chemistry and electronic vehicles of solar photovoltaic area. He said he hopes to see Hong Kong and the Chinese mainland play a major role in the decarbonization of shipping.
2024-02-26The top priority for the development of Hong Kong’s green economy is for the government of the special administrative region to create more application scenarios for sustainability-themed business, particularly in the transportation and construction sectors, said Ma Jun, chairman of the Hong Kong Green Finance Association. “Creating more application scenarios for green technology overrides other elements including capital, technology, and talent,” Ma said in an interview on Monday during the Hong Kong GreenTech Summit. While market forces can naturally drive the evolution of scenarios, the process is normally slow and the result is fragmented as it may not necessarily support local green tech businesses, Ma said, adding that those who have demands might opt to purchase readily available, but potentially outdated, products for their green renovations. “In this regard, rising demands should be guided by the government to tilt towards local green tech companies to lay a foundation for the ecosystem,” Ma said. Business opportunities brought by low-carbon transformation are enormous. The financial pundit estimates that Hong Kong’s local decarbonization market opportunities could reach HK$5 trillion ($639.16 billion) under the city’s current climate ambition. Nevertheless, around half of the core carbon neutrality technologies have yet to mature and commercialize. Take the construction industry as an example. According to Ma, Hong Kong has 40,000 buildings that need to achieve zero carbon emissions by 2050. There are numerous green technologies related to buildings, such as rooftop photovoltaics, new types of building materials, and coatings that reflect ultraviolet light, among others. A key consideration for officials would be how these innovative applications can be implemented and facilitated by the local scenarios that the city creates itself. “For instance, if the government announces a plan to transform 100 government buildings into zero carbon structures at a specific stage, it immediately creates demand,” he said. “Then, these demands can be specifically used to nurture and incubate local green tech businesses.”
2024-02-26HONG KONG - The Hong Kong GreenTech Week and Hong Kong GreenTech Summit 2024 opened Monday at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre in the presence of more than 200 government officials, industry experts and representatives from Hong Kong, the Chinese mainland, and multiple countries. Finance Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po delivered the opening speech. The event is supported by the HKSAR government, funded by Innovation and Technology Commission, and jointly organized by Green Development Institute (GDI), Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation (HKSTP) and the Greater Bay Area Green Finance Alliance (GBAGFA). Supporting organizations for the event include Innovation, Technology and lndustry Bureau (ITIB), Bank of East Asia, New World Group, InvestHK, Chinese Society for Environmental Sciences (CSES), Hong Kong Green Finance Association (HKGFA), Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST), United Nations Industrial Development Organization Investment & Technology Promotion Office Shanghai, Hong Kong Sprinkles Charity Foundation, Institute of Sustainability and Technology, Bluetech Clean Air Alliance, China Daily, Construction Industry Council (CIC), Chinese Financial Association of Hong Kong (CFAHK), Hong Kong Polytechnic University, World Institute of Sustainable Development Planner (WISDP), China Daily, and Dot Dot News.
2024-02-26香港,2024年1月25日 — 中國日報2024年1月25日(星期四)在港舉辦題為“探索大灣區跨境綠色和可持續金融機遇”的專題研討會,此次研討會是亞洲金融論壇系列活動之一,吸引逾230名來自世界各地不同金融機構的投資者、私募股權管理人、專業投資者及各金融機構服務業界人士參會。 亞洲金融論壇旨在為全球政府、金融及商界領袖提供平臺,促進交流真知灼見及發掘投資商機。論壇為期兩日,由香港特區政府與貿易發展局合辦,今年主題為“多邊合作共譜新篇”,配合國家推動全球發展、互利共贏的倡議,推動全球各方攜手協作,共同探討可持續經濟的發展策略、多邊合作的機遇。 香港特別行政區行政長官李家超、國家金融監督管理總局局長李雲澤、阿拉伯聯合大公國財政部副部長Younis Haji Al Khoori 、卡達財政部長Ali bin Ahmad Alkuwari、2022年諾貝爾經濟學獎得主及芝加哥大學布斯商學院金融學教授Douglas Diamond、伊斯蘭開發銀行行長Dr. Muhammad Al Jasser、中國綜合開發研究院院長樊綱、及歐洲聯盟委員會金融穩定、金融服務和資本市場聯盟副總幹事Alexandra Jour-Schroeder等超3000位來自40多個國家或地區的財金官員、央行及監管機構代表、國際金融和多邊組織的高層理人員、金融和商界領袖以及經濟學翹楚,就中國機遇、投資前景、綠色金融、金融科技、家族辦公室生態系統、人民幣國際化以及大灣區發展等熱點議題發表真知灼見。 本次專題研討會已是中國日報亞洲領袖圓桌論壇與亞洲金融論壇的第十三次合作,中國日報社副總編輯兼香港版總編輯周立致歡迎辭,綠色發展研究院高級顧問孟萌,可持續科技學院學術院長、香港大學經管學院客座教授何昊洺,中國銀行(香港)有限公司高級可持續發展團隊經理、香港綠色金融協會銀行轉型融資工作組代表劉逸飛等嘉賓參與討論,中國日報亞太分社多媒體總監大衛•克拉克主持,共同探索大灣區中跨境綠色和可持續金融的機遇。 周立在歡迎辭中提到,香港擁有完善的金融基礎設施,具備促進大灣區內綠色債券發行的能力,這不僅方便海外投資者通過香港認購內地債券,還有助於推進全球實現碳中和的進程,希望今天的研討會能助力推動粵港澳大灣區綠色可持續金融的增長。 劉逸飛認為:“在香港,首要的碳排放源之一來自電力,已經占到整體碳排放的62%左右;另一大來源則是燃油車輛交通。因此,當我們將所有的柴油車和汽油車都改為電動車,我們對電力的依賴程度將大大增加。假如我們80%的碳排放都來自電力,而香港又缺乏綠色能源所需的土地資源,我們又該如何實現碳中和?我認為答案就落在大灣區。” 孟萌表示:“在《巴黎協定》第六條下有非常多的發展機遇,不管是雙邊的還是多邊的碳市場構建,都會催生很大的市場需求,這裡面蘊含了綠色金融的一些投資可能性,因為碳市場所涵蓋行業是多種多樣的。雖然香港並沒有太多的重工業,但是整個大灣區的核心城市擁有很強的製造業基礎,因此在這個領域我們結合大灣區的優勢,大家共同的去推進一些國際碳市場的合作,前景非常廣闊。” 何昊洺在探討香港今年應該如何推進綠色和可持續金融時提到:“當我們談論綠色貸款和綠色債券時,建議進行外部審查。這意味著我們需要獨立的協力廠商機構來審查檔和細節,確保這筆交易確實符合綠色貸款或綠色債券的要求。”“對於首次借款人和發債人來說,進行外部審查可以幫助他們建立信譽。據我觀察,大多數公司在獲得融資時並不關心外部審查或持續報告。” 綠色和可持續金融是一項發展迅速以及前景廣闊的金融活動領域。本次研討會旨在探討大灣區如何在促進內地低碳經濟的發展中發揮其作用,以及綠色金融為香港和大灣區帶來的機遇。憑藉香港健全的金融監管制度和綠色債券平臺,以及與粵港澳大灣區城市之間的互聯互通機制,香港可推動及協助在粵港澳大灣區內發行不同貨幣的綠色債券,吸引更多海外投資者通過香港于內地發債,以及發展其他的跨境可持續商業活動,同時為實現碳中作出貢獻。 關於中國日報 中國日報是中國國家英文日報,是中國與世界交流資訊的重要管道,已形成全球化、分眾化、多語種、全媒體傳播體系。截至2023年11月,全媒體用戶總數超過4.5億,中國日報用戶端目前全球下載用戶超過4100萬,是我國唯一下載量過千萬的英文新聞用戶端;微博粉絲數超過6491萬;微信訂閱人數達2027萬;臉譜帳號粉絲數超過1.05億,位居全球媒體帳號粉絲數第二位;推特帳號粉絲數約420萬。 關於中國日報亞洲領袖圓桌論壇 中國日報亞洲領袖圓桌論壇(www.cdroundtable.com), 創建於2010年,旨在搭建一個由亞洲國家和地區的政、商、學界領袖和社會精英參與的高端對話和交流平臺,圍繞亞洲地區經濟、商業、產業和社會發展等具有戰略影響的重要議題展開討論和分享見解,以增進中國與亞洲國家和西方國家的交流和理解。迄今,在港澳和亞太多個國家和地區舉辦超110屆,逾8萬名決策精英參會。 媒體垂詢: 肖佳慧小姐 電話:(852) 3465 5416 電郵:nancyxiao@chinadailyhk.com
2024-01-25As China goes all-out to forge a carbon-efficient economy, closer green financial ties among cities in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area will play a vital role. Experts made the prediction at a thematic workshop during the annual Asian Financial Forum on Thursday, as they called for deeper collaboration and strengthened education. The development of green finance is a key factor necessary for Hong Kong to build a sustainable and livable city, said Zhou Li, deputy editor-in-chief of China Daily Group and publisher and editor-in-chief of China Daily Hong Kong, in his welcoming remarks at the China Daily-sponsored event, themed “Exploring Cross-border Green and Sustainable Finance Opportunities in the GBA”. “Leveraging its robust financial infrastructure, Hong Kong is positioned to facilitate the issuance of green bonds within the GBA. This not only allows overseas investors to access mainland bonds via Hong Kong but also contributes to global progress toward carbon neutrality,” said Zhou, who is also chairman of the Asia Leadership Roundtable. In this endeavor, “the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government’s cooperation with financial authorities throughout the GBA is essential”, he said. Hong Kong has been leading the pack in sustainable financing and investment, with green bond issuance accounting for about one-third of the market share in Asia. In 2022, total green and sustainable debt arranged or issued in Hong Kong topped $80 billion, a year-on-year increase of over 40 percent, according to official figures. Echoing the central government’s “3060” decarbonization goal of reaching a carbon peak before 2030 and carbon neutrality before 2060, the HKSAR government launched the Climate Action Plan 2050 in October 2021, outlining the strategies and targets for combating climate change and achieving carbon neutrality in four aspects — net-zero electricity generation, energy saving and green buildings, green transport, and waste reduction. Today, a focal point of the country’s climate drive is to boost cooperation between Hong Kong and the rest of the GBA, whose mainland cities’ economic prowess complements the SAR’s advantages in financial services, said Fei Lau, senior vice-president of sustainability strategy, economics and strategic planning department at Bank of China (Hong Kong). Nevertheless, joint efforts are needed to overcome hurdles such as rising land demands for green energy production and a lack of universal standards to measure the performance of green transformation, Lau said. “If we want to achieve carbon neutrality, we have to see ourselves (in the GBA) as one ecosystem and mutually dependent on each other so that we can actually connect all the dots from Hong Kong and the mainland,” Lau told the packed exhibition hall. Echoing Lau’s remarks, Meng Meng, senior adviser at the Green Development Institute, said there are “abundant” investment opportunities in green finance brought about by both the establishment of bilateral and multilateral carbon markets amid the global climate drive. The prospects are incredibly vast as the carbon market encompasses diverse industries, she said. “It is essential to leverage the advantages of the GBA and collaborate to promote broader cooperation in carbon markets.” Stan Ho Ho-ming, academic dean of the Institute of Sustainability and Technology, and an adjunct professor of the Faculty of Business and Economics at the University of Hong Kong, approaches the collaboration between Hong Kong and other cities in the GBA in the field of green finance from an educational perspective. “In terms of the education for ESG (environmental, social, governance), we notice that most of the universities in the undergraduate and postgraduate have already offered ESG courses, not just in finance, but also in business, energy or even engineering,” Ho said. “As the only city in the world that has five universities ranking in the top 100”, Hong Kong holds a significant role in leveraging education for the development of green finance and the entire spectrum of ESG, Ho said. He said he hopes that students in Hong Kong go beyond just taking one or two relevant courses and instead to “be fully proficient in all aspects of ESG”. In terms of curriculum design, Ho said he believes that universities should not only offer courses taught by regular faculty members, but attract industry insiders to share their expertise. Given a significant number of mainland students pursuing graduate programs in Hong Kong and the presence of Hong Kong universities establishing campuses on the mainland, Ho said these connections can serve as a gateway for more students, including prospective ones from the mainland, to gain exposure to international practices in green finance and ESG through Hong Kong’s internationalized platform. Ho also shared his insights on a survey conducted by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council, which involved 300 companies in the GBA. The findings showed that 65 percent of the surveyed enterprises have already adopted green practices, while the remaining 35 percent have plans to do so. The firms also expressed their expectations for support in green development, with more than two-thirds of them indicating a desire for green financial services and products. “This is encouraging,” Ho said, adding that this aligns with the offerings that the green finance sector in the GBA can provide.
2024-01-25Hong Kong, Jan 25, 2024 — Co-organized by China Daily and the Asian Financial Forum, a panel discussion session, themed “Exploring Cross-border Green and Sustainable Finance Opportunities in the GBA”, will be held on Thursday, Jan 25, 2024 at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. The event is expected to draw more than 300 investors, private equity administrators and investment professionals from diverse financial institutions across the globe. Under the central government's 3060 decarbonization goal, the country is expected to reach peak CO2 emissions by 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality by 2060. In alignment with the policy, Hong Kong launched Climate Action Plan 2050, setting out to achieve zero-carbon emissions and create a livable and sustainable city, in which substantial growth in the green financing market would play a key part. Leveraging Hong Kong’s robust financial regulatory regime and green bond platform, along with the connectivity mechanism among Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) cities, Hong Kong could play a vital role in facilitating the issuance of green bonds involving various currencies within the GBA. This would enable overseas investors to access mainland bonds via Hong Kong, as well as other cross-border sustainable business ecosystems while at the same time contributing significantly to the global progress towards carbon neutrality. Given that green and sustainable finance is a rapidly expanding and promising area of financial activity, this session aims to examine how the GBA can contribute to the mainland’s low-carbon economy and what opportunities green finance brings both to Hong Kong and the GBA. Chaired by Dr DJ Clark, Multimedia Director, China Daily Asia Pacific. Ms Meng Meng, Senior Advisor, Green Development Institute; Dr Stan Ho Ho Ming, Academic Dean, The Institute of Sustainability and Technology (IST); Adjunct Professor, Faculty of Business and Economics, University of Hong Kong (HKU); Mr Fei Lau, Senior Vice President of Sustainability Strategy, Economics and Strategic Planning Department, Bank of China (Hong Kong) Limited; Banking – Financing the Transition Working Group Representative, Hong Kong Green Finance Association will join the panel discussion and share their insights on the topic. About China Daily Founded in 1981, China Daily reaches 440 million readers and users worldwide through diversified platforms, including newspapers, websites, mobile devices, and social media. As of August 2023, the number of China Daily’s followers has reached 64 million on Weibo, 20 million on the WeChat blog platform, 105 million on Facebook, and 4.2 million on Twitter. About the China Daily Asia Leadership Roundtable The China Daily Asia Leadership Roundtable is a by-invitation network of movers and shakers in Asia, providing platforms for focused dialogue, issue investigation and possible collective action on strategic issues relating to Asia’s economic, business and social development. Our aim is to enhance communication and increase mutual understanding among China, Asian and Western countries. Roundtable events are held in major cities across Asia. Media Contact: Ms Nancy Xiao Tel: (852) 3465 5416 Email: nancyxiao@chinadailyhk.com
2024-01-25Hong Kong's financial secretary said on Friday that the special administrative region government will promote the digital economy in the city through strengthening overall policy coordination, bolstering digital infrastructure, facilitating local and cross-boundary data flow, expediting digital transformation, and developing a sustainable technology talent strategy. Paul Chan Mo-po made the pledge at the Digital Economy Summit, which has gathered 4,000 Hong Kong, mainland and overseas technology professionals. The event, which ends on Saturday, was organized by the Innovation, Technology and Industry Bureau, the Office of the Government Chief Information Officer and Hong Kong Cyberport. Chan said the Digital Policy Office will be established this year to formulate and implement effective digital policies. At the same time, the government will strengthen the development of digital infrastructure such as enhancing the use and coverage of 5G networks, further promoting electronic payments and rolling out the business version of “iAM Smart”. “Hong Kong is now building a supercomputing center that will serve the computing power needs of enterprises, academic and research institutions. The first phase of its service will be rolled out as soon as within this year,” said Chan. “On cross-boundary data flow, this is an area where Hong Kong enjoys unique advantages under the ‘one country, two systems’ arrangement. Hong Kong is where data from the mainland and around the world would converge. Hong Kong has long enjoyed unfettered access to international data while the city is making progress in cross-boundary flow of data with the mainland,” Chan argued. “We see clear potential for international data trading to become a new and thriving industry in the city. We have commissioned an expert group to study how best to develop a robust data-trading system in Hong Kong,” he added. Chan said local and cross-boundary data flow drives more public and private cross-boundary services, such as encouraging more research and development activities in artificial intelligence as well as life and health technologies in Hong Kong. In the business sector, the administration will extend the coverage of the Commercial Data Interchange run by the Hong Kong Monetary Authority. This initiative had facilitated more than 13,000 loan applications with a total loan amount of around HK$12 billion ($1.53 billion) at the end of last year. The finance chief also noted the government will support and incentivize the city’s small- and medium-sized enterprises in adopting electronic options through providing necessary information and skills training. And it will continue to attract, retain and cultivate digital talent through enhancing education and training, and also work to enhance digital literacy and competency for the whole community. At the summit, Wang Song, vice-minister of the Cyberspace Administration of China, said: “As of last year, the number of internet users in the country has reached 1.092 billion, and the scale of the digital economy has exceeded 50 trillion yuan ($6.91 trillion), accounting for 41.5 percent of gross domestic product, with online retail sales of 15.42 trillion yuan, and mobile payment penetration rate reaching 86 percent.” The vice-minister recommended five strategies for developing the digital economy through promoting the integration of digital and real industries; accelerating the research and development application of big data, and artificial intelligence in industry, education, finance and other scenarios; leveraging Hong Kong’s niches as a top international talent hub; activating the value of the elements of data in cementing AI governance work; and strengthening talent training and exchanges.
2024-04-12The 48th Hong Kong International Film Festival is packed with firsts — from a tete-a-tete with Oscar-nominated director Martin McDonagh to a concert featuring music composed on the spot. Mathew Scott reports. The ongoing 48th edition of Hong Kong International Film Festival has certainly cast its net wide in curating a program that boasts more than 190 films from 62 countries and regions. The festival is hosting five world premieres, six international premieres and 64 Asian premieres across its 12-day run. From the outset, the festival’s ambition has been to cater to those interested in the craft of filmmaking. This year HKIFF’s ever-popular master classes featured the British-Irish multiple Oscar-nominee Martin McDonagh (The Banshees of Inisherin, 2022) and talks by the likes of veteran Spanish director Victor Erice (The Spirit of the Beehive, 1973). Albert Lee, executive director of the Hong Kong International Film Festival Society, which runs the annual HKIFF, is pleased to have engineered McDonagh’s maiden Hong Kong visit. “Over the past decade, I have talked to many Asian and Chinese filmmakers, and they all think very, very highly of Martin. I know a lot of people who are excited by the chance to see him and Erice. Both of them always have a lot to share about their films and also filmmaking in general. It’s a great chance for young filmmakers to learn from them,” Lee says. Weird and wonderful The festival opened with Ray Yeung’s All Shall Be Well (2024), a film about a lesbian couple in their 60s. It had won the Teddy Award for best LGBTQ-themed feature film at the 74th Berlin International Film Festival in February. Fruit Chan is this year’s filmmaker in focus, and the festival is screening 10 of his films, including Durian Durian (2000) and The Abortionist (2019). The eight films selected for the Firebird Awards’ Young Cinema Competition (Chinese Language) include three that focus on the lives of the Chinese diaspora — Kurt Yuen’s Fresh Off Markham (2024), A Song Sung Blue (2023) by Geng Zihan and Chong Keat-aun’s Snow in Midsummer (2020). Lee is keen to have the future generation of Hong Kong filmmakers check out the sometimes weird and generally wonderful world created by the French provocateur Jean Eustache. The festival is showing three of his feature films — A Dirty Story (1977), screened together with the short, The Photos of Alix (1980); My Little Loves (1974); and The Mother and the Whore (1973). Boost for emerging talents At the Hong Kong Filmart held in March — often regarded as an unofficial industry warmup for the HKIFF — the big news was that the local film and television industry would soon receive a HK$5 billion ($639 million) boost via a five-year Hong Kong Cultural and Art Industry Revitalization Program driven by the e-commerce and entertainment giant Alibaba. There was also encouragement for emerging filmmakers in the form of awards at the annual Hong Kong-Asia Film Financing Forum (HAF) program (see sidebar) and a new HKIFF Industry-CAA China Genre Initiative to promote the more commercially leaning works of Chinese cinema. “It all seems to be happening,” Lee says. “The industry has been very busy. We are working closely with the talent agency CAA China toward promoting genre films and that is a first for Hong Kong. We hope to encourage more Chinese-language filmmakers to become involved.” Instant music The Asian premiere of Gift — a unique live collaboration between Japanese Oscar-winner Ryusuke Hamaguchi (Drive My Car, 2021) and his go-to composer Eiko Ishibashi, on March 30 — was a festival highlight. Ishibashi composes an extempore soundtrack during the show, as she responds to images cut from Hamaguchi’s Evil Does Not Exist (2023) — their most recent film together. “I don’t see these images before the concert, only react to them in the moment, and the audience can react to both things,” Ishibashi explains. She hopes that the experience can help broaden the horizons of the audience in terms of what constitutes a cinematic experience. “I like to explore new things, and new ways of presenting my work, and I think that is an important part of being featured at a film festival where you should always try something new,” Ishibashi says. The festival draws to a close on Monday, with Japanese director Shô Miyake’s achingly romantic All the Long Nights (2024) making its Asian premiere.
2024-04-05Since its inception some 24 years ago, the Hong Kong-Asia Film Financing Forum (HAF) has supported promising independent films in the development or postproduction stage. This year was no exception. “We want to help people get their films made” is how Jacob Wong, director of the Hong Kong International Film Festival Industry Office, explains the program. There were 26 in-development projects and 15 works-in-progress vying for awards at the HAF this year. Announced on March 13 — during a ceremony held as part of the annual Hong Kong Filmart industry gathering — the winning entries reflected the wide diversity in content that continues to drive the Asian film industry. The awardees included a Hong Kong-set vampire horror with an Indian lead character (Shreyom Ghosh’s The Vampire of Sheung Shui), a sweeping drama looking at the dualities of life in the present-day Inner Mongolia autonomous region (Jiang Xiaoxuan’s To Kill a Mongolian Horse), and a film about a character made out of feces coming to life (Brian Tse’s The Excreman — On the Road), produced by Hong Kong’s famed McDull franchise. Seeing that previous HAF-backed successes include the box-office smash Dying to Survive (2018) and the critically acclaimed martial arts actioner Barbarian Invasion (2021), the new awardees are in good company. Wong says that there are both art-house and commercial ventures among this year’s awardees. “The range this year was quite exciting, and we are happy to embrace the more commercial projects. I think that is just the way people do business in Asia and it also makes sense because the Hong Kong film industry is very commercial in nature.” This year, the HAF was held under the HKIFF Industry Project Market banner, along with the first edition of the HKIFF Industry-CAA China Genre Initiative for Chinese-language projects. Five projects featured in the new initiative, with prizes going to the comedies Call of Lobster, by Yin Chen-hao, and Dying Fire, by Gao Linyang, for their “compelling narratives and bold use of dramatic elements”. For Wong, the new initiative makes creative as well as logistical sense. “Increasingly, we are doing business with the Chinese mainland and we want to continue to explore the market there,” he says. “The idea is and always has been to help aspiring filmmakers, and when we see any of these projects actually getting made, it just makes everyone involved very happy.” If you go Hong Kong International Film Festival Dates: Through April 8 Venue: Various venues www.hkiff.org.hk/
2024-04-05Though we’re more than halfway through the 48th Hong Kong International Film Festival, there’s still a chance to catch some of the entries on the festival’s expanding documentary program. In the decades since Robert Flaherty willfully blurred the line between fiction and reality in his Nanook of the North (1922), the documentary has never been more popular — thanks largely to Netflix and its bottomless supply of true crime mini-series and docudramas that have turned attention to the form. As the world of streaming — where some of HKIFF’s titles will undoubtedly find homes — broadens exponentially, theatrical documentaries “are increasingly asking where the boundaries between documentary and drama are,” says HKIFF programmer Mimi Wong. She cites Valeria Sarmiento’s archive-based doc on the rediscovery and restoration of Raúl Ruiz’s 1973 satire Socialist Realism. The Pinochet-led military coup in Chile led to Ruiz fleeing his country, while his film got left behind on the editing table. Wong says Sarmiento’s restored 2023 version of the film is “half-documentary and half-drama, and when audiences see the film they’ll be wondering what’s real”. Wong’s co-programmer, Geoffrey Wong, notes that “there’s been an uptick in docs about war and correctness, and these are hot topics”. But then, he reminds us, that documentaries do not necessarily have to be about what’s trending. The HKIFF has nearly two dozen docs in the lineup this year, ranging from “standard” documentary films to the formally experimental and personal self-examinations. Among the standouts are journalist Shiori Ito’s Black Box Diaries. In 2015, Ito was raped by a powerful and popular reporter, and the film tracks her search for justice. Black Box Diaries unfolds against the backdrop of the #MeToo movement beginning to gather momentum, and long-held attitudes toward sexual violence and harassment being re-examined. Equally feminist yet structurally opposed to Ito’s film is Klára Tasovská’s I’m Not Everything I Want to Be, in many ways a deeply personal and probing biography of Czech photographer Libuše Jarcovjáková. The film pulls away from the tradition of compiling archival materials. Instead, Jarcovjáková is shown reading from her diaries and reflecting on the Prague Spring of 1968, her life in West Germany, her self-image as a woman, and her search for identity. In Moroccan filmmaker Asmae El Moudir’s The Mother of All Lies, identity comes with a price. In trying to re-create the Casablanca neighborhood of her youth, she uncovers buried traumas and a conspiracy of silence that upends her family and national history. Ibrahim Nash’at’s Hollywoodgate, on the other hand, addresses a concern that’s more immediate in his chronicle of the 2021 transfer of power in Afghanistan. The film shadows Air Force commander Mawlawi Mansour with unprecedented access, resulting in a chilling portrait of authoritarian rule. Closer to home, directors Donna Ong and Wong Siu-pong couldn’t be farther apart stylistically, but each reveals a slice of Hong Kong life frequently overlooked. In Ong’s Cinema Strada, viewers are invited to take a look back at the city’s cinema culture — or the lack of it — in the ’60s and how critic, curator, researcher and filmmaker Law Kar almost singlehandedly changed that. Uncle Kar, as he’s known, ruminates on the past 80 years of Hong Kong movies and suggests how they could help alleviate stress. Wong’s Obedience peels back the layers on Hung Hom, one of Hong Kong’s most complex neighborhoods. Rich and poor, sparkling towers and grimy alleys, the living and the dead butt up against each other in Wong’s five-year document of a fast-changing urban jungle.
2024-04-05Tech-savvy gurus and risk-takers in blockchain-based, third-generation internet (Web3) are hailing technological advances in virtual reality and artificial intelligence as key drivers of the digital world. While agreeing that people’s lives are becoming more entwined with virtual spaces, they also hold great expectations for Hong Kong’s role in blurring the border separating the physical and digital realms. At the World of Web3 (WOW) Summit in Hong Kong, Elio D’Anna, co-founder of the UK-based House of Fine Art Gallery and CEO of Kreation.io, said that the days of being tethered to a smartphone may be numbered. Instead, he envisioned a future where human beings will live in a more immersive, three-dimensional reality that seamlessly integrates the digital and physical worlds. “This new reality will be powered by innovative devices that are connected through nonfungible tokens (NFTs) and cloud nodes, enabling users to stream and experience a digital world that is deeply intertwined with the physical one,” he told a panel session co-organized by China Daily titled “Emerging Trends in NFTs and the Metaverse”. Echoing his remarks, Gillian Pua, head of marketing and communications of BreederDAO — a Philippines-based digital assets provider for blockchain-based games — said the sector is waiting for innovations in virtual reality applications to play an increasingly crucial role to shape the world of tomorrow. She said people are witnessing a gradual shift towards a more virtual world, driven by reliance on the internet and social media platforms as well as emerging projects in the metaverse — an immersive digital realm where people can interact via avatars. The creation of innovative hardware is essential in pushing people closer to a seamless virtual experience, she said, citing the example of tech giants like Apple and Samsung, who are striving to create the best hardware that will make the digital playground more lifelike and engaging. During the same discussion, Emil Chan, co-chair of the Hong Kong Digital Finance Association, said Hong Kong has the potential to become a digital asset trading center, serving as a superconnector between the virtual and real worlds. His remarks highlight the city’s unique position and the need for a mature ecosystem to facilitate seamless transactions between digital assets and traditional financial systems. “Hong Kong’s historical role as a trading hub between East and West has positioned the city to leverage its expertise in bridging different markets,” Chan said. “As the world embraces digital assets, such as NFTs and cryptocurrencies, Hong Kong has the opportunity to extend its role as a superconnector to the virtual realm.” Chan noted the importance of creating a system that allows for easy “on-ramping” and “off-ramping” between the virtual and real worlds. This would enable investors to transfer their money into digital assets, creating value in both realms. By developing a mature ecosystem that supports such transactions, Hong Kong could become a center for digital asset trading, serving as a gateway for investors to enter and exit the metaverse, he added. However, to achieve this goal, Chan highlighted the need for stable regulation and the transformation of the traditional financial system. He pointed to the example of the Hong Kong dollar, which has been pegged to the US dollar since 1983, as a model for stability. If a digital currency is issued by renowned banks such as HSBC or Bank of China, it would inject greater confidence among investors, compared to those issued by commercial companies with less transparency, he said. Alexy Joven, co-founder of Modjo, a Paris-based startup specializing in Web3 and Web2 business branding and expansion, shed light on the transformative power of NFTs in the world of marketing. He noted the potential of NFTs to help startups grow without relying on traditional advertising methods, offering a fresh perspective on audience targeting and customer retention. His suggestion challenges the conventional wisdom of casting a wide net to reach a large audience. Instead, he advocates a more targeted strategy, focusing on a smaller group of around 2,000 people. By offering NFTs for free, backed by real value, startups can create a viral effect, generating buzz and attracting a targeted community of users, he said. “You give NFTs for free. … People want it, (and) speak about it. It goes viral, you have … a new community, (receive) better attention and then increase your revenue,” Joven said. Maria Ivina, founder of Satori Me which promotes the synergy of art, ecology, and technology, stressed the importance of synergy between Web3 technologies and sustainable living. Citing the metaverse as an example, she said the virtual space offers opportunities to organize exhibitions, conferences, and gatherings that leverage digital art to draw attention to eco-problems. “I’m very positive about that because I know a lot of people who do care about our planet. And new technologies are a very important part of our life,” she said. WOW Summit Hong Kong 2024, held on March 26 and 27 at AsiaWorld Expo, is a flagship event for the city to raise its profile in the global Web3 community. With over 7,000 attendees, including officials, entrepreneurs, and venture capitalists, the event has served as a sounding board for Web3 players, allowing them to pick each other’s brains on NFT investment, blockchain technology, content creation in the metaverse and virtual asset regulation.
2024-03-26HONG KONG – The 48th edition of the Hong Kong International Film Festival – which will run from March 28 to April 8 – will feature 194 movies from 62 countries and regions. There will be total 307 screenings in various cinemas across the city, the organizers said at a press conference in the city on Friday. Cinephiles in Hong Kong will have the opportunity to meet award-winning filmmakers during the festival. They include Irish writer-director Martin McDonagh and Spanish maestro Victor Erice, as well as Zar Amir, the first Iranian female actress to win Best Actress award at the Cannes Film Festival. "As transportation has resumed after COVID-19, more world-renowned directors and movie writers will come to Hong Kong for the festival to engage with movie lovers by giving masterclasses and sharing their filmmaking experience," Wilfred Wong, chairman of the Hong Kong International Film Festival Society, said at the press conference. Japanese multi-instrumentalist and composer Ishibashi Eiko will give a live performance on March 30. She composed music for director Hamaguchi’s Evil does not exist and the silent film GIFT was created to accompany her live performance. Other than global movie professionals, local filmmakers will also get the spotlight during the annual festival. The festival will kick off with a new local movie, All shall be well, which has won the Teddy Award at the 74th Berlin International Film Festival in February. Director Ray Yeung, whose another award-winning movie is Suk Suk, captured the bittersweet story about the inheritance right of a partner of a lesbian couple in Hong Kong, where the partner passed away and the other one lost all of her assets due to the lack of legal protection for same-sex couples, and more importantly, love and care from her partner’s family members and relatives in her twilight years. Hong Kong independent film pioneer Fruit Chan has been picked as "the filmmaker in focus" for this year's festival, showcasing his early work of the 1997 trilogy Made in Hong Kong, The Longest Summer and Little Cheung, as well as his recent works. Renowned actress Karena Lam has been named as the ambassador for the 48th edition of the event. “I feel very honored for being recognized for my contribution to Hong Kong’s movie industry for more than 20 years," Lam, a ceramics enthusiast, said at the press conference. Other than screening of new and restored classic movies, budding talents will also compete for the Firebird Awards for outstanding movies, short film and documentaries. The participating works will also be screened during the festival. Tickets will be available for purchase starting from 10 am on Tuesday on the HKIFF official website. The HKIFF is Asia’s longest-running platform for filmmakers, film professionals, and filmgoers worldwide to launch new work and experience outstanding films.
2024-03-08As the global decarbonization drive gains pace, Hong Kong is poised to capitalize on the massive sustainability business opportunities and lead the green-technology charge, officials and experts said at the Hong Kong GreenTech Summit 2024 on Monday. “The potential for global green development is immense, and Hong Kong will not be absent in this wave,” Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po told a conference hall packed with business leaders, venture capitalists and academics. The finance chief’s words came as countries worldwide are striving to promote green and low-carbon transformation — a trend that is fundamentally changing the development model that previously emphasized growth while overlooking social costs. Clean energy is a case in point. According to the finance chief, global investments in the single sector last year were estimated at $1.7 trillion, surpassing oil-related upstream industries for the first time. In the finance chief’s budget last year, Chan put forward the vision of forging Hong Kong into a global hub for both green technology and finance to capitalize on the booming transformation. For officials, the city’s strengths in its complete funding ecosystem, research capabilities, and international connectivity are the prerequisites for a bright tomorrow of the city’s greentech ambition. From venture capital and private equity funds to listing platforms, Hong Kong has long been seen as a prime fundraising center to meet the financing needs of startups and companies at different stages. “Hong Kong also offers high-quality professional services, playing a crucial role in facilitating connections between the Chinese mainland and international standards, green project certifications, and the like,” Chan said. Meanwhile, hundreds of attendees thronged exhibition stalls of about 50 greentech startups from local, mainland and overseas at the venue, including those involving carbon capture, storage solutions and green financing. Addressing the greentech gathering, Ma Jun, chairman of the Hong Kong Green Finance Association, said Hong Kong’s local decarbonization market opportunities could reach HK$5 trillion ($639 billion) due to substantial investment needs in areas such as transportation, shipping, and buildings. “Hong Kong can further pioneer demonstration projects in green construction, low-carbon transportation and the circular economy while constructing a robust ecosystem to attract greentech enterprises from the Chinese mainland and abroad through promoting incubation and acceleration policies, concessional finance and innovative use cases,” Ma said. The greentech summit kicked off a vast array of sustainability-themed events and discussions under the Hong Kong Green Week, which began on Monday. On the heels of it will be the “Climate Business Forum: Asia-Pacific”, co-hosted by the Hong Kong Monetary Authority and the International Finance Corp, on Tuesday and Wednesday. According to officials, the six-day campaign is expected to attract about 5,000 attendees from across the globe. Chinese Academy of Engineering academician He Kebin said that it is crucial to boost international collaboration and green finance strength to catalyze innovations while helping product marketing. Approximately half of these technologies, especially in energy storage and hydrogen energy, are still in the process of maturing and reaching the commercial stage, He said. Leveraging Hong Kong’s historical position as an international financial center, its proximity with the mainland, and its edges in carbon neutrality technologies will play a unique role in coordinating global climate efforts and unlocking significant commercial opportunities, he added. Adair Turner, chairman of the Energy Transitions Commission, said China is a leader in the reduction in wind turbine costs, battery chemistry and electronic vehicles of solar photovoltaic area. He said he hopes to see Hong Kong and the Chinese mainland play a major role in the decarbonization of shipping.
2024-02-26The top priority for the development of Hong Kong’s green economy is for the government of the special administrative region to create more application scenarios for sustainability-themed business, particularly in the transportation and construction sectors, said Ma Jun, chairman of the Hong Kong Green Finance Association. “Creating more application scenarios for green technology overrides other elements including capital, technology, and talent,” Ma said in an interview on Monday during the Hong Kong GreenTech Summit. While market forces can naturally drive the evolution of scenarios, the process is normally slow and the result is fragmented as it may not necessarily support local green tech businesses, Ma said, adding that those who have demands might opt to purchase readily available, but potentially outdated, products for their green renovations. “In this regard, rising demands should be guided by the government to tilt towards local green tech companies to lay a foundation for the ecosystem,” Ma said. Business opportunities brought by low-carbon transformation are enormous. The financial pundit estimates that Hong Kong’s local decarbonization market opportunities could reach HK$5 trillion ($639.16 billion) under the city’s current climate ambition. Nevertheless, around half of the core carbon neutrality technologies have yet to mature and commercialize. Take the construction industry as an example. According to Ma, Hong Kong has 40,000 buildings that need to achieve zero carbon emissions by 2050. There are numerous green technologies related to buildings, such as rooftop photovoltaics, new types of building materials, and coatings that reflect ultraviolet light, among others. A key consideration for officials would be how these innovative applications can be implemented and facilitated by the local scenarios that the city creates itself. “For instance, if the government announces a plan to transform 100 government buildings into zero carbon structures at a specific stage, it immediately creates demand,” he said. “Then, these demands can be specifically used to nurture and incubate local green tech businesses.”
2024-02-26HONG KONG - The Hong Kong GreenTech Week and Hong Kong GreenTech Summit 2024 opened Monday at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre in the presence of more than 200 government officials, industry experts and representatives from Hong Kong, the Chinese mainland, and multiple countries. Finance Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po delivered the opening speech. The event is supported by the HKSAR government, funded by Innovation and Technology Commission, and jointly organized by Green Development Institute (GDI), Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation (HKSTP) and the Greater Bay Area Green Finance Alliance (GBAGFA). Supporting organizations for the event include Innovation, Technology and lndustry Bureau (ITIB), Bank of East Asia, New World Group, InvestHK, Chinese Society for Environmental Sciences (CSES), Hong Kong Green Finance Association (HKGFA), Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST), United Nations Industrial Development Organization Investment & Technology Promotion Office Shanghai, Hong Kong Sprinkles Charity Foundation, Institute of Sustainability and Technology, Bluetech Clean Air Alliance, China Daily, Construction Industry Council (CIC), Chinese Financial Association of Hong Kong (CFAHK), Hong Kong Polytechnic University, World Institute of Sustainable Development Planner (WISDP), China Daily, and Dot Dot News.
2024-02-26香港,2024年1月25日 — 中國日報2024年1月25日(星期四)在港舉辦題為“探索大灣區跨境綠色和可持續金融機遇”的專題研討會,此次研討會是亞洲金融論壇系列活動之一,吸引逾230名來自世界各地不同金融機構的投資者、私募股權管理人、專業投資者及各金融機構服務業界人士參會。 亞洲金融論壇旨在為全球政府、金融及商界領袖提供平臺,促進交流真知灼見及發掘投資商機。論壇為期兩日,由香港特區政府與貿易發展局合辦,今年主題為“多邊合作共譜新篇”,配合國家推動全球發展、互利共贏的倡議,推動全球各方攜手協作,共同探討可持續經濟的發展策略、多邊合作的機遇。 香港特別行政區行政長官李家超、國家金融監督管理總局局長李雲澤、阿拉伯聯合大公國財政部副部長Younis Haji Al Khoori 、卡達財政部長Ali bin Ahmad Alkuwari、2022年諾貝爾經濟學獎得主及芝加哥大學布斯商學院金融學教授Douglas Diamond、伊斯蘭開發銀行行長Dr. Muhammad Al Jasser、中國綜合開發研究院院長樊綱、及歐洲聯盟委員會金融穩定、金融服務和資本市場聯盟副總幹事Alexandra Jour-Schroeder等超3000位來自40多個國家或地區的財金官員、央行及監管機構代表、國際金融和多邊組織的高層理人員、金融和商界領袖以及經濟學翹楚,就中國機遇、投資前景、綠色金融、金融科技、家族辦公室生態系統、人民幣國際化以及大灣區發展等熱點議題發表真知灼見。 本次專題研討會已是中國日報亞洲領袖圓桌論壇與亞洲金融論壇的第十三次合作,中國日報社副總編輯兼香港版總編輯周立致歡迎辭,綠色發展研究院高級顧問孟萌,可持續科技學院學術院長、香港大學經管學院客座教授何昊洺,中國銀行(香港)有限公司高級可持續發展團隊經理、香港綠色金融協會銀行轉型融資工作組代表劉逸飛等嘉賓參與討論,中國日報亞太分社多媒體總監大衛•克拉克主持,共同探索大灣區中跨境綠色和可持續金融的機遇。 周立在歡迎辭中提到,香港擁有完善的金融基礎設施,具備促進大灣區內綠色債券發行的能力,這不僅方便海外投資者通過香港認購內地債券,還有助於推進全球實現碳中和的進程,希望今天的研討會能助力推動粵港澳大灣區綠色可持續金融的增長。 劉逸飛認為:“在香港,首要的碳排放源之一來自電力,已經占到整體碳排放的62%左右;另一大來源則是燃油車輛交通。因此,當我們將所有的柴油車和汽油車都改為電動車,我們對電力的依賴程度將大大增加。假如我們80%的碳排放都來自電力,而香港又缺乏綠色能源所需的土地資源,我們又該如何實現碳中和?我認為答案就落在大灣區。” 孟萌表示:“在《巴黎協定》第六條下有非常多的發展機遇,不管是雙邊的還是多邊的碳市場構建,都會催生很大的市場需求,這裡面蘊含了綠色金融的一些投資可能性,因為碳市場所涵蓋行業是多種多樣的。雖然香港並沒有太多的重工業,但是整個大灣區的核心城市擁有很強的製造業基礎,因此在這個領域我們結合大灣區的優勢,大家共同的去推進一些國際碳市場的合作,前景非常廣闊。” 何昊洺在探討香港今年應該如何推進綠色和可持續金融時提到:“當我們談論綠色貸款和綠色債券時,建議進行外部審查。這意味著我們需要獨立的協力廠商機構來審查檔和細節,確保這筆交易確實符合綠色貸款或綠色債券的要求。”“對於首次借款人和發債人來說,進行外部審查可以幫助他們建立信譽。據我觀察,大多數公司在獲得融資時並不關心外部審查或持續報告。” 綠色和可持續金融是一項發展迅速以及前景廣闊的金融活動領域。本次研討會旨在探討大灣區如何在促進內地低碳經濟的發展中發揮其作用,以及綠色金融為香港和大灣區帶來的機遇。憑藉香港健全的金融監管制度和綠色債券平臺,以及與粵港澳大灣區城市之間的互聯互通機制,香港可推動及協助在粵港澳大灣區內發行不同貨幣的綠色債券,吸引更多海外投資者通過香港于內地發債,以及發展其他的跨境可持續商業活動,同時為實現碳中作出貢獻。 關於中國日報 中國日報是中國國家英文日報,是中國與世界交流資訊的重要管道,已形成全球化、分眾化、多語種、全媒體傳播體系。截至2023年11月,全媒體用戶總數超過4.5億,中國日報用戶端目前全球下載用戶超過4100萬,是我國唯一下載量過千萬的英文新聞用戶端;微博粉絲數超過6491萬;微信訂閱人數達2027萬;臉譜帳號粉絲數超過1.05億,位居全球媒體帳號粉絲數第二位;推特帳號粉絲數約420萬。 關於中國日報亞洲領袖圓桌論壇 中國日報亞洲領袖圓桌論壇(www.cdroundtable.com), 創建於2010年,旨在搭建一個由亞洲國家和地區的政、商、學界領袖和社會精英參與的高端對話和交流平臺,圍繞亞洲地區經濟、商業、產業和社會發展等具有戰略影響的重要議題展開討論和分享見解,以增進中國與亞洲國家和西方國家的交流和理解。迄今,在港澳和亞太多個國家和地區舉辦超110屆,逾8萬名決策精英參會。 媒體垂詢: 肖佳慧小姐 電話:(852) 3465 5416 電郵:nancyxiao@chinadailyhk.com
2024-01-25As China goes all-out to forge a carbon-efficient economy, closer green financial ties among cities in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area will play a vital role. Experts made the prediction at a thematic workshop during the annual Asian Financial Forum on Thursday, as they called for deeper collaboration and strengthened education. The development of green finance is a key factor necessary for Hong Kong to build a sustainable and livable city, said Zhou Li, deputy editor-in-chief of China Daily Group and publisher and editor-in-chief of China Daily Hong Kong, in his welcoming remarks at the China Daily-sponsored event, themed “Exploring Cross-border Green and Sustainable Finance Opportunities in the GBA”. “Leveraging its robust financial infrastructure, Hong Kong is positioned to facilitate the issuance of green bonds within the GBA. This not only allows overseas investors to access mainland bonds via Hong Kong but also contributes to global progress toward carbon neutrality,” said Zhou, who is also chairman of the Asia Leadership Roundtable. In this endeavor, “the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government’s cooperation with financial authorities throughout the GBA is essential”, he said. Hong Kong has been leading the pack in sustainable financing and investment, with green bond issuance accounting for about one-third of the market share in Asia. In 2022, total green and sustainable debt arranged or issued in Hong Kong topped $80 billion, a year-on-year increase of over 40 percent, according to official figures. Echoing the central government’s “3060” decarbonization goal of reaching a carbon peak before 2030 and carbon neutrality before 2060, the HKSAR government launched the Climate Action Plan 2050 in October 2021, outlining the strategies and targets for combating climate change and achieving carbon neutrality in four aspects — net-zero electricity generation, energy saving and green buildings, green transport, and waste reduction. Today, a focal point of the country’s climate drive is to boost cooperation between Hong Kong and the rest of the GBA, whose mainland cities’ economic prowess complements the SAR’s advantages in financial services, said Fei Lau, senior vice-president of sustainability strategy, economics and strategic planning department at Bank of China (Hong Kong). Nevertheless, joint efforts are needed to overcome hurdles such as rising land demands for green energy production and a lack of universal standards to measure the performance of green transformation, Lau said. “If we want to achieve carbon neutrality, we have to see ourselves (in the GBA) as one ecosystem and mutually dependent on each other so that we can actually connect all the dots from Hong Kong and the mainland,” Lau told the packed exhibition hall. Echoing Lau’s remarks, Meng Meng, senior adviser at the Green Development Institute, said there are “abundant” investment opportunities in green finance brought about by both the establishment of bilateral and multilateral carbon markets amid the global climate drive. The prospects are incredibly vast as the carbon market encompasses diverse industries, she said. “It is essential to leverage the advantages of the GBA and collaborate to promote broader cooperation in carbon markets.” Stan Ho Ho-ming, academic dean of the Institute of Sustainability and Technology, and an adjunct professor of the Faculty of Business and Economics at the University of Hong Kong, approaches the collaboration between Hong Kong and other cities in the GBA in the field of green finance from an educational perspective. “In terms of the education for ESG (environmental, social, governance), we notice that most of the universities in the undergraduate and postgraduate have already offered ESG courses, not just in finance, but also in business, energy or even engineering,” Ho said. “As the only city in the world that has five universities ranking in the top 100”, Hong Kong holds a significant role in leveraging education for the development of green finance and the entire spectrum of ESG, Ho said. He said he hopes that students in Hong Kong go beyond just taking one or two relevant courses and instead to “be fully proficient in all aspects of ESG”. In terms of curriculum design, Ho said he believes that universities should not only offer courses taught by regular faculty members, but attract industry insiders to share their expertise. Given a significant number of mainland students pursuing graduate programs in Hong Kong and the presence of Hong Kong universities establishing campuses on the mainland, Ho said these connections can serve as a gateway for more students, including prospective ones from the mainland, to gain exposure to international practices in green finance and ESG through Hong Kong’s internationalized platform. Ho also shared his insights on a survey conducted by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council, which involved 300 companies in the GBA. The findings showed that 65 percent of the surveyed enterprises have already adopted green practices, while the remaining 35 percent have plans to do so. The firms also expressed their expectations for support in green development, with more than two-thirds of them indicating a desire for green financial services and products. “This is encouraging,” Ho said, adding that this aligns with the offerings that the green finance sector in the GBA can provide.
2024-01-25Hong Kong, Jan 25, 2024 — Co-organized by China Daily and the Asian Financial Forum, a panel discussion session, themed “Exploring Cross-border Green and Sustainable Finance Opportunities in the GBA”, will be held on Thursday, Jan 25, 2024 at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. The event is expected to draw more than 300 investors, private equity administrators and investment professionals from diverse financial institutions across the globe. Under the central government's 3060 decarbonization goal, the country is expected to reach peak CO2 emissions by 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality by 2060. In alignment with the policy, Hong Kong launched Climate Action Plan 2050, setting out to achieve zero-carbon emissions and create a livable and sustainable city, in which substantial growth in the green financing market would play a key part. Leveraging Hong Kong’s robust financial regulatory regime and green bond platform, along with the connectivity mechanism among Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) cities, Hong Kong could play a vital role in facilitating the issuance of green bonds involving various currencies within the GBA. This would enable overseas investors to access mainland bonds via Hong Kong, as well as other cross-border sustainable business ecosystems while at the same time contributing significantly to the global progress towards carbon neutrality. Given that green and sustainable finance is a rapidly expanding and promising area of financial activity, this session aims to examine how the GBA can contribute to the mainland’s low-carbon economy and what opportunities green finance brings both to Hong Kong and the GBA. Chaired by Dr DJ Clark, Multimedia Director, China Daily Asia Pacific. Ms Meng Meng, Senior Advisor, Green Development Institute; Dr Stan Ho Ho Ming, Academic Dean, The Institute of Sustainability and Technology (IST); Adjunct Professor, Faculty of Business and Economics, University of Hong Kong (HKU); Mr Fei Lau, Senior Vice President of Sustainability Strategy, Economics and Strategic Planning Department, Bank of China (Hong Kong) Limited; Banking – Financing the Transition Working Group Representative, Hong Kong Green Finance Association will join the panel discussion and share their insights on the topic. About China Daily Founded in 1981, China Daily reaches 440 million readers and users worldwide through diversified platforms, including newspapers, websites, mobile devices, and social media. As of August 2023, the number of China Daily’s followers has reached 64 million on Weibo, 20 million on the WeChat blog platform, 105 million on Facebook, and 4.2 million on Twitter. About the China Daily Asia Leadership Roundtable The China Daily Asia Leadership Roundtable is a by-invitation network of movers and shakers in Asia, providing platforms for focused dialogue, issue investigation and possible collective action on strategic issues relating to Asia’s economic, business and social development. Our aim is to enhance communication and increase mutual understanding among China, Asian and Western countries. Roundtable events are held in major cities across Asia. Media Contact: Ms Nancy Xiao Tel: (852) 3465 5416 Email: nancyxiao@chinadailyhk.com
2024-01-25