Hong Kong's AI Development Highlighted at World AI Conference 2026 in Shanghai

2026-07-17 21:57 Last Updated At：22:08

SITI attends 2026 World AI Conference and High-level Meeting on Global AI Governance in Shanghai

The Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry, Professor Sun Dong, attended the 2026 World AI Conference (WAIC 2026) and High-level Meeting on Global AI Governance in Shanghai today (July 17), and delivered a speech at the Seminar on Fostering Economic Innovation and Global Collaboration through AI.

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SITI attends 2026 World AI Conference and High-level Meeting on Global AI Governance in Shanghai Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

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SITI attends 2026 World AI Conference and High-level Meeting on Global AI Governance in Shanghai Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

President Xi Jinping attended the opening ceremony of the WAIC 2026 and High-level Meeting on Global AI Governance in the morning and delivered a keynote speech, saying that the world has entered an unprecedented period of active innovation on AI technologies. All countries should take a people-centered approach and develop AI for the positive and for good and that AI is an important driver for shared prosperity and common security. Professor Sun also attended the opening ceremony.

The country attaches great importance to AI development, and the National 15th Five-Year Plan clearly states the need to "deepen the construction of the Digital China Initiative and enhance the level of digital and intelligent development". With the country's planning and support, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government is accelerating its efforts to build Hong Kong into an international innovation and technology (I&T) centre in full swing, constructing a comprehensive, reliable, international and sustainable AI ecosystem, as well as proactively integrating into the national "AI+" initiative.

In the afternoon, Professor Sun attended the Seminar on Fostering Economic Innovation and Global Collaboration through AI organised by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council. In his opening speech, he said that the HKSAR Government has elevated AI to a core industry for Hong Kong and established the principle of "industries for AI and AI for industries". Leveraging the robust research and development (R&D) capabilities of Hong Kong's universities, Hong Kong is currently building an internationally competitive I&T ecosystem with "three major I&T parks and five key R&D institutions" as the backbone. The three major parks have gathered over a thousand AI-related enterprises and start-ups, forming a vibrant cluster. Also, the Hong Kong Artificial Intelligence Research Institute is soon to be launched, and 16 laboratories focusing on AI and robotics under the InnoHK platform have brought together nearly 1 200 top global R&D talents to drive research breakthroughs and global I&T collaboration.

Professor Sun said that Hong Kong's overall computing power has currently reached 5 000 PFLOPS. The construction of the Sandy Ridge Data Facility Cluster is at full speed, which is expected to provide 180 000 PFLOPS of computing power upon completion, equivalent to 36 times Hong Kong's current computing power. The Cluster, together with the Hong Kong Park in the Loop and the San Tin Technopole, constitutes the new development pattern of "I&T in the north" to seize opportunities and room for AI R&D, industrialisation and cross-boundary collaboration. It will also achieve highly efficient complementarity with the industrial chains and computing clusters of various provinces and municipalities in the Mainland, thereby promoting Hong Kong to become an advanced data and computing hub in the region, and contributing Hong Kong's power to the development of Digital China.

Professor Sun pointed out that the HKSAR Government is promoting AI development on all fronts, from policy governance to fund allocation, adding that the Committee on AI+ and Industry Development Strategy has been established to formulate strategies for AI-driven industrial transformation. The Innovation and Technology Industry-Oriented Fund will be launched within this year to channel market capital to invest in emerging and future industries including AI, digitalisation, and upgrading and transformation. The HKSAR Government will continue to promote the safe and orderly cross-boundary flow of data in a pragmatic and robust manner, and establish an AI governance framework to strike a balance among innovation, application, and responsibility, ensuring its safe and reliable development.

Afterwards, Professor Sun visited the Hong Kong Pavilion at the WAIC 2026. The Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation, the Cyberport and the Hong Kong-Shenzhen Innovation and Technology Park organised a total of 18 Hong Kong start-ups focusing on areas including smart city and infrastructure, robotics and automation to participate in the exhibition. The Hong Kong Productivity Council has also set up a thematic exhibition area. Professor Sun met with the participating enterprises to understand the latest development outcomes of the industry.

Professor Sun also met with Deputy Secretary General of the Shanghai Municipal People's Government Mr Zhu Min. He stated that the HKSAR Government has been proactively aligning with the 15th Five-Year Plan and is pressing ahead to formulate Hong Kong's first Five-Year Plan, in which I&T will be a key segment. As I&T is a core development area for both Shanghai and Hong Kong, both governments are ramping up support across multiple dimensions such as policy, resources and industries. He expected that I&T co-operation between the two places can be further strengthened in the future.

Professor Sun will conclude the duty visit and return to Hong Kong in the afternoon tomorrow (July 18).

Hong Kong Customs Seizes 36 Tortoises, 8 Lizards Worth $550,000 at Airport from Korean Passengers.

Hong Kong Customs seizes suspected scheduled endangered live tortoises and lizards

Hong Kong Customs yesterday (July 16) seized 36 live tortoises and eight live lizards of suspected scheduled endangered species at Hong Kong International Airport, with an estimated market value of about $550,000.

Two Korean male passengers, aged 24 and 30, arrived in Hong Kong from Bangkok, Thailand, yesterday. They were intercepted for customs clearance at the arrivals hall of the airport. Customs officers found the batch of tortoises and lizards contained in plastic boxes inside their carry-on baggage. Upon inspection by officers of the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD), the batch of tortoises and lizards was suspected to be of endangered species listed in the Appendices of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora and regulated under the Protection of Endangered Species of Animals and Plants Ordinance (Cap. 586) in Hong Kong.

The case has been handed over to the AFCD for follow-up action. Hong Kong Customs reminds the public not to carry controlled items into and out of Hong Kong.

Under the Protection of Endangered Species of Animals and Plants Ordinance, any person importing, exporting or possessing specimens of endangered species not in accordance with the Ordinance commits an offence and will be liable to a maximum fine of $10 million and imprisonment for 10 years upon conviction with the specimens forfeited.

Members of the public may report any suspected smuggling activities to Customs' 24-hour hotline182 8080or its dedicated crime-reporting email account (crimereport@customs.gov.hk) or online form (eform.cefs.gov.hk/form/ced002).

Hong Kong's AI Development Highlighted at World AI Conference 2026 in Shanghai

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