Professor Sun Dong Strengthens Hong Kong-Australia I&T Collaboration During Melbourne Visit

2026-06-23 20:12 Last Updated At：20:33

SITI continues visit to Australia

The Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry, Professor Sun Dong, continued his visit to Melbourne, Australia, today (June 23, Melbourne time).

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SITI continues visit to Australia Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

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SITI continues visit to Australia Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Professor Sun met with the Minister for Economic Growth and Jobs and Minister for Sport and Major Events, Victoria, Mr Steve Dimopoulos, to learn more about how innovation and technology (I&T) in Victoria further promotes its economic development. Hong Kong is making substantial investments in areas including AI, life and health technology, advanced manufacturing and green technology. These key development directions closely align with the strengths of the State of Victoria and even Australia, in agritech, health technology and clean technology innovation, thereby creating significant opportunities for collaboration among universities, research institutes, start-ups and technology enterprises.

Professor Sun attended the 2026 Australia-China Innovation Summit organised by the Australia China Business Council and delivered a keynote speech on Hong Kong's latest I&T developments to guests from local public enterprises, universities, and I&T and financial institutions. Professor Sun said that Hong Kong and Australia share a long history of partnership and friendship. As the global economy undergoes profound transformation driven by technology, the two economies are exceptionally well placed to co-create solutions that are trusted, scalable and globally competitive. Hong Kong warmly invites Australian businesses, researchers and innovators to deepen their I&T engagement with Hong Kong, to partner with universities and research institutes of Hong Kong, and to seize the immense opportunities emerging across the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.

Professor Sun also attended a roundtable luncheon of the Summit and listened to the participating guests' sharing of experiences on expanding businesses to the Chinese Mainland and Hong Kong markets.

Professor Sun met with the Consul-General of the People's Republic of China in Melbourne, Mr Fang Xinwen, to brief him on Hong Kong's latest I&T developments. They also exchanged views on actively expanding I&T co-operation between Hong Kong and Victoria.

Professor Sun then met with representatives from AusBiotech and Cell Therapies, and introduced to them the latest developments in Hong Kong's life and health technology industry. The three parties also explored opportunities for collaboration between relevant enterprises and research institutes in Australia and those in Hong Kong and the Greater Bay Area. AusBiotech is a leading biotechnology, medical technology and health technology industry association in Australia dedicated to advancing the global growth of the Australian life sciences industry. Cell Therapies is a biotechnology company specialising in advanced cell and gene therapy manufacturing. Professor Sun also visited the laboratory facilities of Cell Therapies to learn about its advanced manufacturing technology.

In the evening, Professor Sun attended the National Business Awards Gala Dinner organised by the Hong Kong-Australia Business Association and delivered a keynote speech on Hong Kong's I&T developments. He said that with a robust I&T ecosystem of major I&Tparks and research and development institutions as well as InnoHK's 38 world-class laboratories partnering with world-renowned universities and institutions, including the University of Melbourne, Hong Kong is advancing in industries of strategic importance in life sciences, AI, and advanced manufacturing and new materials. Hong Kong is located in the Greater Bay Area with the world's top Shenzhen-Hong Kong-Guangzhou innovation cluster, which, together with the planned advanced computing infrastructure, provides enterprises with unrivalled access to markets. Its sound rule of law environment, free flow of capital, and new I&T funds and flexible listing regimes offer strong business assurance to investors.

At the dinner, Professor Sun warmly invited Australian businesses, researchers and investors to deepen collaboration and expand partnerships in strategic fields, leveraging Hong Kong as the most efficient and trusted platform to access Asia's fast-growing markets.

Professor Sun will continue his visit to Melbourne tomorrow (June 24, Melbourne time) and will then proceed to visit Auckland, New Zealand, on the same day.

Two women sentenced for smuggling duty-not-paid cigarettes, highlighting strict customs enforcement in Hong Kong.

Two incoming passengers convicted and jailed for importing/possessing duty-not-paid cigarettes

Two incoming female passengers were sentenced to three months' imprisonment with a fine of $1,000, and six weeks' imprisonment with a fine of $2,000, respectively, by the Fanling Magistrates Courts today (June 23) for importing or possessing duty-not-paid cigarettes and failing to declare to Customs officers, in contravention of the Dutiable Commodities Ordinance (DCO).

Customs officers intercepted an incoming 43-year-old Chinese female passenger at the Lok Ma Chau Spur Line Control Point on April 19 and seized 13 800 duty-not-paid cigarettes from her personal baggage, with an estimated market value of about $59,000 and a duty potential of about $46,000. She was subsequently arrested. She was sentenced to three months' imprisonment with a fine of $1,000 by the Courts today.

In addition, Customs officers intercepted an incoming 49-year-old local female passenger at the Lo Wu Control Point on May 21 and seized 981 duty-not-paid cigarettes from her personal baggage, with an estimated market value of about $4,000 and a duty potential of about $3,000. She was subsequently arrested and released on bail. Customs officers intercepted the female passenger again at the Lok Ma Chau Spur Line Control Point on June 6 and seized 1 261 duty-not-paid cigarettes from her personal baggage, with an estimated market value of about $5,000 and a duty potential of about $4,000. She was subsequently arrested and was sentenced to six weeks' imprisonment with a fine of $2,000 by the Courts today.

Customs welcomes the sentences, noting that even a first-time offender may still be imprisoned. The custodial sentences have imposed a considerable deterrent effect and reflect the seriousness of the offences. Members of the public should not defy the law.

Customs reminds members of the public that under the DCO, cigarettes are dutiable goods to which the DCO applies. Any person who imports, deals with, possesses, sells or buys illicit cigarettes commits an offence. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $2 million and imprisonment for seven years.

Members of the public may report any suspected illicit cigarette activities to Customs' 24-hour hotline 182 8080 or its dedicated crime-reporting email account (crimereport@customs.gov.hk) or online form (eform.cefs.gov.hk/form/ced002).

Professor Sun Dong Strengthens Hong Kong-Australia I&amp;T Collaboration During Melbourne Visit