Hong Kong Celebrates Chinese New Year in Adelaide, Showcasing Artistic Talent and Strengthening Trade Ties.

Sydney ETO holds Chinese New Year reception in Adelaide to celebrate Year of Horse and promote Hong Kong's artistic talent

The Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office, Sydney (Sydney ETO) hosted a Chinese New Year reception in Adelaide, Australia, yesterday (March 3) to celebrate the Year of the Horse and promote Hong Kong's artistic talent.

Over 120 guests from various sectors, including political and business circles, media, academia, community groups and government representatives, attended the reception. Among them were the Consul-General of the People's Republic of China in Adelaide, Mr Li Dong, and the representative of the Premier of South Australia, Minister for Trade and Investment, Minister for Industry, Innovation and Science, Minister for Local Government and Minister for Veterans Affairs of South Australia, Mr Joe Szakacs.

The Director of the Sydney ETO, Mr Ricky Chong, said in his welcoming remarks that Hong Kong and Australia share a long-standing partnership based on shared values of openness, connectivity and free trade. South Australia is an important partner in agribusiness, premium food and wine, education and renewable energy. Hong Kong remains a key market for South Australian's high-quality products and a strategic gateway for South Australian enterprises seeking opportunities in Asia. He also highlighted that the resumption of direct flights between Hong Kong and Adelaide has further strengthened connectivity, facilitating business exchanges, tourism and people-to-people ties between the two places.

Mr Chong introduced the 2026-27 Budget recently delivered by the Financial Secretary, Mr Paul Chan, under the theme "Driving High-quality, Inclusive Growth with Innovation and Finance". The Budget underscored Hong Kong's economic resilience and set out a clear strategy to sustain growth, strengthen fiscal health and improve people's livelihood while advancing innovation and financial development.

"Key measures in the Budget include tax and rates relief to ease cost pressures, strategic investment in innovation and technology, including AI, digital assets and green finance; and continued efforts to consolidate Hong Kong's position as an international financial centre," Mr Chong said.

Mr Chong also highlighted the newly launched Economic and Trade Express, which brings together the collective strengths of overseas Economic and Trade Offices, Invest Hong Kong and the Hong Kong Trade Development Council. "Through this co-ordinated platform, we support Hong Kong small and medium-sized enterprises and start-ups in expanding abroad, including here in Australia, while also assisting Chinese Mainland enterprises in their "going global" journey. By serving as a "super connector" and "super value-adder", Hong Kong will continue to deepen trade and investment links with South Australia and the broader Australian economy," Mr Chong added.

The reception concluded with a Cantonese pop music medley by the Hong Kong ensemble Toolbox Percussion. With the support of the Sydney ETO, the ensemble will also participate in the Adelaide Fringe, staging four performances of "Echoes of Silence - A Contemporary Percussion Odyssey" from today (March 4) to March 7, followed by a series of cultural exchange programmes in Brisbane and Melbourne from March 8 to 12.

The Sydney ETO will also host a Chinese New Year reception in Perth, Australia, to celebrate the Year of the Horse with local communities.

Sydney ETO holds Chinese New Year reception in Adelaide to celebrate Year of Horse and promote Hong Kong's artistic talent Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Sydney ETO holds Chinese New Year reception in Adelaide to celebrate Year of Horse and promote Hong Kong's artistic talent Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Sydney ETO holds Chinese New Year reception in Adelaide to celebrate Year of Horse and promote Hong Kong's artistic talent Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Sydney ETO holds Chinese New Year reception in Adelaide to celebrate Year of Horse and promote Hong Kong's artistic talent Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Sydney ETO holds Chinese New Year reception in Adelaide to celebrate Year of Horse and promote Hong Kong's artistic talent Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Speech by SITI at opening ceremony of WT | Wearable Technologies Conference 2026 Hong Kong

Following is the speech by the Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry, Professor Sun Dong, at the opening ceremony of the WT | Wearable Technologies Conference 2026 Hong Kong today (March 4):

Mr Stammel (Chief Executive Officer of WT Wearable Technologies Group, Mr Christian Stammel), Terry (Chief Executive Officer of the Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation, Mr Terry Wong), Dr Cua (Co-Chairman of Medical Engineering and Innovation Council of the Federation of Hong Kong Industries, Dr Simon Cua), Mr Wismer (Regional Head of Messe Düsseldorf for Asia of MEDICA, Mr Lars Wismer), distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen,

Good morning. It is my great pleasure to join you all today at the opening ceremony of the Wearable Technologies Conference 2026, held in parallel with the Grand Pitch Final of the Hong Kong MedTech Innovation World Cup. I warmly welcome you, especially our friends and partners from overseas, to Hong Kong.

Wearable technologies and solutions are transforming clinical practice and redefining user experience at an unprecedented pace. Hong Kong is firmly committed to advancing these fields. In the Hong Kong I&T (innovation and technology) Development Blueprint promulgated in 2022, we have identified life and health technology as one of the major strategic tech industries. Hosting the WT Conference once again and the Innovation World Cup series in Hong Kong for the very first time is a strong testament to our capabilities in facilitating global I&T exchange. It also underscores Hong Kong's unique position as both a "super connector" and a "super value-adder" in the international MedTech landscape.

Hong Kong possesses a robust foundation in life and health science research, underpinned by our five top-100 universities and two top-40 medical schools in the world, and we are on the way to setting up a third medical school in Hong Kong. Pooling together world-class experts and with well-accredited research outputs, Hong Kong enjoys a unique edge in research and development (R&D) which drives breakthroughs in life and health technology.

To capitalise on our strength, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government has rolled out various initiatives to support the local development of life and health technology. For instance, our flagship InnoHK platform houses 30 research centres, pooling together around 3 000 researchers from over 30 world-renowned non-local universities and research institutes. The InnoHK platform focuses on life and health technologies, as well as AI and robotics, both of which are most crucial to wearable devices. The centres have been making notable research achievements and introduced various products to the market.

I would like to take this opportunity to share with you all our commitment to supporting I&T development in Hong Kong through our three "$10 billion" schemes. In 2023, we launched the Research, Academic and Industry Sectors One-plus Scheme (RAISe+) to channel more funding support to research teams for transforming and commercialising their R&D outcomes in the universities. Since its inception, a total of 15 projects on life and health technology have been supported and several of them are exactly about wearable technologies.

In 2024, we launched the $10 billion New Industrialisation Acceleration Scheme (NIAS) to support enterprises in industries of strategic importance, including life and health technology, to establish high-end smart production facilities in Hong Kong. Two enterprises focusing on life and health technology have been supported by the scheme with a total investment of about $1 billion. We warmly welcome more tech enterprises, whether in wearable tech devices, MedTech, or other related fields, to seize the opportunities and bring your smart factories to Hong Kong.

This year, we will also soon commence the operation of another $10 billion Innovation and Technology Industry-Oriented Fund, so as to channel market capital to invest in emerging and future fields of strategic importance, including life and health technology.

Ladies and Gentleman, Year 2026 marks the beginning of the National 15th Five-Year Plan, in which life and health technology remains one of its key focus areas. With the unwavering support from our motherland, and the Government's firm commitment to developing the sector, I am sure that Hong Kong's life and health technology industry, together with AI and robotics, will continue to grow and thrive, bringing new opportunities and prospects for tech companies, start-ups and talents all around the world.

In closing, may I wish the event every success. Thank you.

Speech by SITI at opening ceremony of WT | Wearable Technologies Conference 2026 Hong Kong Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases