Welcome remarks by STL at Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Clean Energy Supply Chain Conference
Following are the welcome remarks by the Secretary for Transport and Logistics, Ms Mable Chan, at the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Clean Energy Supply Chain Conference today (April 23):
Mr CY Leung (Vice-Chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference and Adviser of the Hong Kong Chamber of Shipping), Professor Ip (President of the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Professor Nancy Ip), Mr Hing Chao (Chairman of the Hong Kong Chamber of Shipping), distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen,
Good morning. I am so honoured to join all of you here today at the first Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Clean Energy Supply Chain Conference. I particularly like the theme of the conference because it covers Guangdong, Hong Kong, Macao and clean energy, and it's about supply chains. I think the challenge and the opportunity for Hong Kong in the coming years will be surrounded with all these three themes, which is a very important topic for us to not only explore, study, but also to act.
The International Maritime Organization (IMO) has just recently approved the IMO Net-zero Framework this month, which I think a lot of the experts and professionals joining us today are aware of. This framework establishes the world's first industry-wide greenhouse gas emission limitation and pricing mechanism, with a view to further spurring the industry's efforts to achieve the shipping emission reduction targets as set out in the 2023 IMO Strategy on Reduction of GHG (greenhouse gas) Emissions from Ships. The trend of maritime decarbonisation is now simply unstoppable. Stakeholders in the maritime industry must take decisive actions, and so does the Government, in particular to gradually switch from conventional fuels to low- or even zero-carbon green fuels.
With the growing popularity of green maritime fuels, many ports have been developing green fuel bunkering. While Hong Kong might not be one of the pioneers on this front, we are definitely and rapidly closing the gap. We promulgated the Action Plan on Green Maritime Fuel Bunkering in November last year, setting out very clear objectives, including five green-centric strategies and 10 actions. Our ultimate goal is to develop Hong Kong into a green port and a green maritime fuel trading hub. Since then, there have been very successful examples of collaboration in the industry. We have three successful commercial LNG (liquefied natural gas) bunkering operations in our local waters since the first maiden trial operation of LNG bunkering on Valentine's Day this year, and I think this truly reflects the confidence of the shipping industry in Hong Kong's new role as a centre for green maritime fuel bunkering.
The trade of green maritime fuels is currently at its infancy. To break into the new market of green maritime fuel trading, we must first build up a green maritime fuel ecosystem, and gather relevant stakeholders from different parts of the green maritime fuel supply chain, as well as green shipping-related talent in Hong Kong. I think talent-building and nurturing is definitely one of the topical areas that the Government will be pursuing, and I also share the same vision with the Chamber of Shipping, which is also actively pursuing different talent-nurturing programmes in Hong Kong and on the Mainland. The Marine Department has set up a dedicated team to provide one-stop services to green shipping-related organisations interested in starting a business in Hong Kong, and "professionals in green shipping" has also recently been added into the Hong Kong Government's Talent List, so for all those interested in joining this talent list, do let us know your applications and the interested parties so that we can facilitate and assist. In addition, we are actively engaging a number of enterprises from Hong Kong, the Mainland and beyond, including various organisations such as shipping companies, green maritime fuel producers and bunkering operators, as well as gathering information from them on the demand for green maritime fuels by relevant enterprises. This will enable us to build a platform in Hong Kong to facilitate exchanges and co-operation among different enterprises in the supply chain, as well as to match their demand with green fuel producers from the Mainland. Our aim is to form an organic green maritime fuel supply chain in Hong Kong. This is not an easy task, but I think we have the determination to provide a platform and also to provide one-stop services. We are definitely hoping to work with the stakeholders in the industry, in particular the Chamber, with Hing Chao and other members of your Chamber, so as to work out quickly an organic ecosystem in Hong Kong.
I don't know whether any one of you are aware, Hong Kong actually ranked seventh as the world's leading ship fuel bunkering centre. With the staunch support from our country and together with other cities in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, as well as other cities and provinces on the Mainland, we aspire to build up a supply chain, in particular on fuel supply, transport and distribution, bunkering operation, technical and academic exchange and manpower training, in order to maintain our position and competitiveness and to better equip ourselves to support our development as an international shipping and maritime centre. Looking ahead, we will shortly promulgate the code of practice on green methanol bunkering by the middle of this year and, I hope, will invite EOIs (expressions of interest) from the market in relation to developing green maritime fuel storage facilities on a Tsing Yi site later this year. So please remember, our expressions of interest exercise will be launched later this year so as to gather the topical, updated market interest in the potential of Hong Kong in the storage of green methanol or even other new fuels.
Apart from continuously enhancing the green maritime fuel ecosystem and collaborative platform, we will vigorously promote the development of green maritime fuel trading in Hong Kong. At present, the trading volume of green marine fuels is relatively small and is primarily conducted directly between fuel producers and users. Notably, there is, so far, no green maritime fuel trading centre in the world. As the trading volume and popularity of green maritime fuels continue to grow, we are on the path to establishing a vibrant trading system in Hong Kong. Hong Kong, as an international financial centre, boasts a mature financial market, a common law-based legal system, and free flow of capital that allows efficient post-transaction settlements. I believe this unique combination positions Hong Kong better than any other cities in the country to become the go-to international platform for the trading of green maritime shipping fuels, and this will also help our country secure a leading position in this emerging trading market.
Green maritime fuel bunkering is only our first step towards green shipping. As an international maritime centre, Hong Kong must evolve into a green port to support and drive the industry's transition towards sustainability. As Mr CY Leung just mentioned, the aspiration towards green and sustainability is not just a policy agenda item of this term of Government but is also of the previous term of the HKSAR (Hong Kong Special Administrative Region) Government. In this connection, I would like to report that the Marine Department has formulated a green-friendly port arrangement to give priority to green fuel-powered vessels to use anchorages. In addition, as stated in our Action Plan, we have set the target of reducing carbon emissions from the Kwai Tsing Container Terminals by 30 per cent by 2030, as compared with 2021. We have been working closely with the port operators to follow up on their green transformation process, as well as encouraging the industry to achieve decarbonisation through port automation and the adoption of more innovative technologies.
Developing a green port is an integral part of Hong Kong in preparing for setting up green shipping corridors with other ports for the rest of the world. Hence, we have been working at full speed to actively pursue the establishment of "Partner Port" relationships with other ports to enhance collaboration in different specific areas. In addition, many green shipping corridors incorporate elements of port digitalisation. Port digialisation and digital systems were also mentioned by Professor Ip just now. Thanks to the Legislative Council, we obtained funding approval just last month and will complete the development of a digital port community system within this year. This will not only help provide the industry with more convenient, accurate, transparent and traceable real-time cargo tracking services, to enhance the competitiveness of the Hong Kong Port amidst the current uncertain trading environment, but it will also connect us with similar systems at other ports on the Mainland as well as the rest of the world for efficient and paperless data transmission.
With green as the background colour of high-quality development, the concept of environmental sustainability remains ever relevant across territories. The HKSAR Government will continue to make every effort to implement the measures set out in our Action Plan, and we will incorporate other related measures into our policy planning as and when needed. And in this process of transformation, we definitely need the expert advice and support from the stakeholders in the shipping and maritime industry. With unswerving overall policy directions as our map, firm action measures as our engine, and clear, ambitious targets as our compass, the Government will play a leading role to lead local enterprises to brave the waves and chart a new course for green shipping.
Ladies and gentlemen, last but not least, I would like to thank the Hong Kong Chamber of Shipping, with the leadership of Mr CY Leung and with the vision and staunch efforts and passion of Mr Hing Chao, for supporting the policy direction of the Government and organising this conference, in particular to gather the views and opinions from industry experts to facilitate opinion exchanges. I would also like to take this opportunity to call upon all of you to join us in developing Hong Kong into the premiere high-quality green maritime fuel bunkering centre in the region, promoting our transformation into a green-friendly port, as well as establishing an organic and symbolic green maritime fuel trading centre, so as to make unique "Hong Kong contributions" to our country's development into a maritime superpower.
Thank you all.
HKSAR Government actively aligns with National 15th Five-Year Plan and presses ahead with high-quality development
The fourth session of the 14th National People's Congress today (March 12) approved the "Outline of the 15th Five-Year Plan for National Economic and Social Development of the People's Republic of China" (the 15th Five-Year Plan). A spokesman for the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government expressed sincere gratitude to the Central Authorities for their support in consolidating and enhancing Hong Kong's competitive edge across various key areas, facilitating Hong Kong's better integration into and service of the overall national development.
The Chief Executive, Mr John Lee, said, "The 15th Five-Year Plan is the blueprint and action agenda for the social and economic development of the country in the next five years. The major objectives for this period include significant achievements in high-quality development, substantial improvements in scientific and technological self-reliance and strength, fresh breakthroughs in further deepening reform comprehensively, notable cultural and ethical progress across society, further improvements in quality of life, major new strides in advancing the Beautiful China Initiative and further advances in strengthening the national security shield. The HKSAR is greatly encouraged by this and will proactively align with the 15th Five-Year Plan Outline, contributing Hong Kong's strength to further deepening reform comprehensively and advancing Chinese modernisation.
"I extend my sincere gratitude for the country's steadfast support and care for Hong Kong as demonstrated by the inclusion of multiple provisions in the 15th Five-Year Plan to promote Hong Kong's long-term prosperity and stability, and to deepen the development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. I will lead the HKSAR Government to earnestly fulfil its role in bearing the primary responsibility for the governance of Hong Kong, unite various sectors of the community to actively support and proactively align with the National 15th Five-Year Plan. Through formulating a systematic policy framework, we will map out strategic initiatives of greater comprehensiveness, higher precision and in finer detail for key development areas, and draw up a macroscopic, strategic and forward-looking five-year plan for the first time for Hong Kong. The preparatory groups set up earlier by various bureaux under my instruction have been converted into the formulation teams for the alignment with the 15th Five-Year Plan, which will work full speed to complete the Hong Kong five-year plan within this year.
"The first Hong Kong's Five-year Plan, aligned with the National 15th Five-Year Plan, will have far-reaching implications. Serving as the collective action framework for the HKSAR, it will outline Hong Kong's development vision, core objectives, key areas and major initiatives over the next five years. This plan will provide clear guidance for Hong Kong's socio-economic and livelihood development, driving Hong Kong's deeper integration into and contribution to the overall national development. The most direct benefit of the Hong Kong's Five-Year Plan stems from the robust backing of national development. As the world's second-largest economy, the country's comprehensive capabilities provide Hong Kong with immense market momentum and development opportunities. As the country has surged to global leadership in various fields including innovation and technology, artificial intelligence, big data, and infrastructural development, Hong Kong can leverage the country's industrial ecosystem and progress to achieve leapfrog development in our own emerging industries. For instance, in the financial sector, Hong Kong can build upon the country's strategy to promote the internationalisation of the Renminbi to strengthen our function as a global offshore Renminbi business hub, and to enhance the mutual market access regime and consolidate our status as an international financial centre. In the area of innovation and technology, Hong Kong can accelerate collaboration and transformation among the industry, academic and research sectors through the development of the Northern Metropolis. As regards industrial upgrading, Hong Kong can also integrate into national strategies, such as the 'Artificial Intelligence Plus (AI+) Initiative', to empower its traditional competitive industries, thereby strengthening its new productive forces amid the new round of scientific and technological revolution as well as industry transformation.
"To ensure the smooth progress of the formulation work, I will take the lead in this endeavour, with the Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Bureau assuming primary responsibility. All Secretaries of Bureaux shall fully commit to driving forward and jointly participating in this initiative. I am confident that with our concerted efforts and collective wisdom, the first Hong Kong's Five-year Plan will serve as a guiding framework for pioneering new horizons and achieving a new leap forward for Hong Kong. It will lay a more concrete foundation for our long-term prosperity and stability, enabling Hong Kong to demonstrate renewed commitment and achievements in the journey of integrating into and serving the overall national development."
The 15th Five-Year Plan explicitly points out that the principles of "one country, two systems", "Hong Kong people administering Hong Kong" and a high degree of autonomy should be implemented with unwavering commitment; the principle of "patriots administering Hong Kong" should be put into practice; and the efficacy of governance in accordance with the law should be ensured to promote Hong Kong's economic and social development, and give full play to Hong Kong's unique advantages and important role of maintaining close connections with both the Mainland and the world. The 15th Five-Year Plan supports Hong Kong in consolidating and enhancing its status as an international financial, shipping and trade centre and an international aviation hub. It aims to strengthen Hong Kong's functions as a global offshore Renminbi business hub, an international asset management centre, and an international risk management centre. The plan also supports Hong Kong in developing into an international innovation and technology hub, while deepening its development as an international legal and dispute resolution services centre, a regional intellectual property trading centre, and the East-meets-West centre for international cultural exchange. The 15th Five-Year Plan also further incorporates, for the first time, support for Hong Kong in establishing a commodity trading ecosystem and a high value-added supply chain service centre. It also explicitly backs Hong Kong in accelerating the development of the Northern Metropolis and building an international hub for high-calibre talents. A spokesman for the HKSAR Government said that the Government is deeply encouraged by the Central Government's staunch support. Hong Kong will definitely seize the opportunity to proactively align with the requirements of national strategies, effectively translating the new positioning, functions and tasks entrusted by the Central Government into tangible outcomes that will drive high-quality economic development and improve people's livelihoods. The Government is accelerating the advancement of the Northern Metropolis, a crucial strategic development zone for Hong Kong, through innovative collaborative models, including large-scale land disposal and preferential policies. Multiple measures will be implemented with a view to attracting more leading enterprises to establish their operations there, thereby transforming this piece of land which is connected to the Mainland by mountains and sea into a new engine for Hong Kong's economic growth.
The 15th Five-Year Plan stated that co-operation between Hong Kong and the Mainland in the areas of economic, trade, technology and culture should be strengthened; policies and measures facilitating Hong Kong residents' development and life on the Mainland should be improved; and the mutual market access regime between Hong Kong and Mainland financial markets should be advanced in an orderly manner. The 15th Five-Year Plan also clearly proposed for the first time to deepen innovation collaboration between industry, academic and research sectors with the Mainland; to drive breakthroughs continuously in priority areas of co-operation; to promote the co-ordinated development of ports, airports and rail transit; to advance the preparatory work for the Hong Kong-Shenzhen Western Rail Link; and to develop major co-operation platforms including the Loop to high standards. It also called for improving mechanisms for Hong Kong to assume a greater role in the country's opening up to the world, supporting Hong Kong's deep involvement in the high-quality co-operation under the Belt and Road Initiative, leveraging its strengths in professional service to assist enterprises in going global, and harnessing Hong Kong's role as an important window for exchange and mutual learning between the Chinese and Western cultures.
The Government spokesman said that Hong Kong enjoys the advantage of connecting the Mainland and the world under the "one country, two systems" principle. It will fully leverage its international and market-oriented characteristics to promote connectivity with the Mainland. The HKSAR Government has established the Task Force on Supporting Mainland Enterprises in Going Global to connect the robust productivity of the Mainland, Hong Kong's world-renowned professional services and the keen demand of global buyers. Hong Kong will facilitate the efforts of quality enterprises in going global and bringing in international capital, steadfastly advancing high-quality development of the economy. Regarding the development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, the HKSAR Government will proactively engage with relevant platform initiatives, continuously deepen the harmonisation of rules and mechanisms with Greater Bay Area cities, and facilitate the convenient cross-boundary flow of innovation elements.
The fourth session of the 14th National People's Congress also adopted the National Development Planning Law, marking for the first time that a dedicated piece of legislation concerning national development planning has been enacted at the top level. This provides a robust legal foundation for formulating development plans. The Government spokesman said that the National Development Planning Law established principles for national support in Hong Kong's proactive alignment with national development planning. It clearly affirmed the country's upholding of the "one country, two systems" principle, supporting the HKSAR's proactive integration into and service of the overall national development. This fully reflected the staunch support of the Central Authorities for Hong Kong's alignment with national development planning, providing robust legal safeguards for Hong Kong to better integrate into and serve the overall national development. It will enable Hong Kong to better leverage its unique advantages under the principle of "one country, two systems" and achieve deep alignment with the overall development strategy of the country, thereby giving full play to Hong Kong's strengths to serve the country's needs and facilitating Hong Kong's enhanced integration into and service of the overall national development.
The Government spokesman concluded, "This year marks the beginning of the country's 15th Five-Year Plan and represents a critical year for Hong Kong as it advances from stability towards prosperity. With the robust support of the National 15th Five-Year Plan, we shall continue to consolidate and enhance our international competitiveness, deepen international exchanges and co-operation, strengthen our bridging role between the Mainland and the world, and pioneer a new phase of high-quality development for Hong Kong. This will enable us to better integrate into and serve the overall national development, thereby making Hong Kong's contributions to the nation's endeavours in building a great country and achieving national rejuvenation."
Source: AI-found images
