AAHK and Turkish Airlines sign MOU to strengthen co-operation on air connectivity and aviation development
The Airport Authority Hong Kong (AAHK) and the Turkish Airlines today (November 3) signed the Memorandum of Understanding between Airport Authority Hong Kong and Türk Hava Yollar A.O. on Strengthening Cooperation on Air Connectivity and Aviation Development (MOU) to deepen co-operation across various areas including enhancing air connectivity, advancing operation standards, promoting sustainable development and expanding talent training.
Attending the MOU signing ceremony, the Secretary for Transport and Logistics, Ms Mable Chan, said, "The collaboration between Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) and the Turkish Airlines is the perfect embodiment of an alliance of giants. The Turkish Airlines currently ranks first in tonnage usage at the HKIA Dongguan Logistics Park, fully demonstrating the solid foundation of co-operation between both sides. The signing of this MOU further strengthens our close ties. We are very pleased to see that the Turkish Airlines is deploying more aircraft to Hong Kong and bringing in new cargo sources, implementing its landmark strategic decision to establish Hong Kong as its 'second hub'."
Ms Chan added that this collaboration not only reinforces the Turkish Airlines' absolute confidence in Hong Kong's economic vitality and high-efficiency operations, but also shows the enduring strengths of Hong Kong as the premier gateway to the Chinese Mainland and the Asia-Pacific region. She said she looks forward to unleashing immense synergies through deepening collaboration between the two sides to achieve win-win outcomes.
The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government will continue to leverage its crucial role as a "super connector" and "super value-adder" to optimise global supply chains and explore new frontiers in trade. This partnership will fully utilise HKIA's advantage of high efficiency to connect with Turkish Airlines' aviation network spanning Europe, Africa and the Americas. By leveraging Hong Kong's unique regional connectivity, the partnership will further consolidate Hong Kong's position as an international aviation hub and its leading role as the world's busiest cargo airport.
Keynote speech by SITI at 2026 World Internet Conference Ministerial Meeting on "Working Together to Take a People-Centered Approach and Develop AI for the Positive and for Good" in Wuzhen
Following is the keynote speech by the Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry, Professor Sun Dong, at the 2026 World Internet Conference (WIC) Ministerial Meeting on "Working Together to Take a People-Centered Approach and Develop AI for the Positive and for Good" in Wuzhen, Zhejiang today (November 3):
Distinguished ministers, ladies and gentlemen,
Good evening. First of all, I would like to thank the World Internet Conference for convening this ministerial meeting. The theme before us - Working Together to Take a People-Centred Approach and Develop AI for the Positive and for Good, reflects our shared responsibility to harness the opportunities brought by artificial intelligence (AI) while ensuring that technological progress serves the well-being of people and society.
In Hong Kong, our First Five-Year Plan promulgated in September this year sets a clear target: to establish Hong Kong as an international innovation and technology (I&T) centre rooted in the Guangdong - Hong Kong - Macao Greater Bay Area by 2030. In this process, infrastructure plays a crucial role. At present, Hong Kong's overall computing power has reached 5 000 PFLOPS (peta-floating point operations per second). We are in parallel constructing the Sandy Ridge Data Facility Cluster in full speed so that it will provide 180 000 PFLOPS by 2032 - 36 times our current capacity. Meanwhile, our three major I&T parks - Cyberport, the Hong Kong Science Park, and the Hong Kong-Shenzhen Innovation and Technology Park - already host over a thousand AI-related enterprises and start-ups.
The HKSAR (Hong Kong Special Administrative Region) Government has also established the Committee on AI+ and Industry Development Strategy to facilitate AI-driven industrial transformation and promote co-ordination among the Government, industry, academia, research, investment and application sectors to foster the deep integration of AI with various industries. Apart from that, the Hong Kong AI Research and Development Institute will commence operation this year to co-ordinate downstream research, industry application and solution matching, driving the industrial application of AI.
A people-centred approach is equally important. To this end, we have launched the "AI for All" Inclusive Programme this summer to roll out training courses and activities through our quangos to promote AI awareness, enhance professional skills as well as competitiveness through AI.
We believe that AI should be developed for good purposes. While AI offers considerable opportunities, its rapid development also presents new challenges. The HKSAR Government therefore adopts an approach that encourages innovation while at the same time strengthening risk governance. We are taking forward a comprehensive AI risk-governance strategy, covering seven areas namely combating AI-related crime, strengthening protection for minors, promoting market assessment of AI ethical risks, promoting safe and orderly AI adoption across industries, studying legal liability for AI-related accidents, issuing guidelines for managing AI agents, and examining the employment impact of AI. These are not bureaucratic boxes to tick, but are in fact safeguards for our people who use AI for their business, research, study and their everyday life.
Our gathering here today for the WIC and this Ministerial Meeting is the testament to the importance of international collaboration in realising the full potential of AI. As a "super connector" and a "super value-adder", Hong Kong looks forward to more meaningful cross-cultural dialogue and practical collaboration with our partners around the world. Thank you.
Keynote speech by SITI at 2026 World Internet Conference Ministerial Meeting on "Working Together to Take a People-Centered Approach and Develop AI for the Positive and for Good" in Wuzhen Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
