For Immediate Release PRESS RELEASE China Daily Gathers Investors to Discuss the New Formula for Early Stage & Angel Investment Nov 5, 2019, HK: Co-organized by China Daily and Cyberport Venture Capital Forum, a panel discussion session, themed “Then and Now: The New Formula for Early Stage & Angel Investment” was held at the Cyberport Venture Capital Forum on Tuesday, Nov 5, 2019. It attracted more than 300 venture capitalists, entrepreneurs and super angels. According to the statistic collected from June to September, the startup ecosystem of Hong Kong has skyrocketed in recent years. The total number of start-up increased from 2,625 to 3,184 from 2018 to 2019. The number of staff employed in start-ups increased from 9,548 to 12,478 from 2018 to 2019. However, in recent years, larger venture capital firms are becoming less active in funding start-ups and channelling their investments towards later-stage venture. This is giving rise to more angel investments and investor syndicates for seed and early stage. Furthermore, accredited investing portals have emerged to create connections between entrepreneurs and angels, bringing additional fluidity and ease to this market. The panel had four influential investors and experts. They are Mr. John ASON, Professional Angel Investor, Kewpie Associates; Mr. Anthony WOO, Vice-president of Product Strategy of Digital Transaction Limited; Mr. Vincent LAW, Founder and Managing Director, Spark Ventures; and Mr. Theodore MA, Managing Partner, CoCoon Ignite Ventures. They shared their views on the shift in the characteristics and examine the new formula of early stage and angel investments. Mr. Ason said that it’s the people that brings in other angels and other likely venture capitals. He advised entrepreneurs to look for the networking, show their ideas and work with other people. Mr. Woo pointed out that the general mentality is changing today in the sense that plenty of investors are doing more soul searching and reflection to deeply understand what they are investing in. He said that the due diligence should not only be based on social evidence - what other people are doing. For his company, they are trying to be more disciplined in the sense that they really try to understand tech itself. Mr. Law said that the local startup scene has changed a lot in the past few years as more and more new investors are joining the game, be it local venture capitals, corporate venture capitals, venture funds set up by family offices or funding schemes launched by the Hong Kong government and world-class incubators like Cyberport. Mr. Ma said that startup is really solving problems. He advised entrepreneurs should go out and talk to people in order to understand the needs in the market. From a venture capital’s point of view, they are investing companies to essentially give them more runways. Investment money isn’t the money that entrepreneurs make. Instead, entrepreneurs should get money from customers and customers are only willing to pay if they understand the companies are actually solving the problems. About China Daily Founded in 1981, China Daily covers 200 million readers and users worldwide through diversified platforms, including newspapers, websites, and mobiles and social media. The number of China Daily’s followers had now reached 46.5 million on Weibo, 5.8 million on the WeChat Blog platform, and another 80 million on Facebook. About China Daily Asia Leadership Roundtable The China Daily Asia Leadership Roundtable is a by-invitation network of movers and shakers in Asia providing platforms for focused dialogue, issue investigation, and possible collective action on strategic issues relating to economic, business and social development in Asia. Our aim is to enhance communication and increase mutual understanding between China, Asian and Western countries. Roundtable events are held in major cities across Asia.
2019-11-05In the buzzing world of startups, only focused and down-to-earth problem solvers could survive the stiff competition and attract venture capital to help them get off the ground, a China Daily Asia Leadership Roundtable forum heard on Tuesday. Getting money for startups could be a daunting task years ago, especially in Hong Kong, because traditional VC firms were more interested in putting money into startups in the relatively late stages of their lifecycle in exchange for more secure returns, said Vincent Law, founder and managing director of Spark Ventures. “In the past few years, however, the local startup scene has changed a lot as more and more new investors are joining the game, be it local VCs, corporate VCs, venture funds set up by family offices or funding schemes launched by the Hong Kong government and world-class incubators like Cyberport,” Law told the a panel discussion themed “Then and Now: The New Formula for Early Stage & Angel Investment”, held as part of the two-day Cyberport Venture Capital Forum in Hong Kong. Billed as Cyberport’s annual premier venture forum and the region’s signature venture conference, the forum kicked off, shedding light on the game-changing world of tech venturing. More importantly, the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, a national policy to replicate the success of other city clusters to promote the emergence of a regional powerhouse, spells potentially huge opportunities for Hong Kong startups with the foresight to jump on the bandwagon, Law said. The grand plan, which reinforces the theme of regional cooperation and integration, highlights a broader market to bolster the broader vision of startups in Hong Kong, he said. “If local startups heading north for greener pastures could expand their businesses across the region, it’s a perfect stepping stone for them to go global and get more funds.” In the second quarter of 2019, VC-backed companies raised $52.7 billion with 3,855 deals, according to data from KPMG. The role that venture capital has played in the startup scene can never be underestimated. “Startup is really about solving problems,” said Theodore Ma, managing partner at CoCoon Ignite Ventures. “From a VC’s point of view, we’re investing companies to essentially give them more runway. Investment money isn’t the money that you make. Instead, you should get money from customers and customers are only willing to pay if they understand you are actually solving the problems.” Ma said this points to a shift of focus among the investment community. Previously, VCs just looked at hundreds of companies and picked one with the most impressive statistics. “Today, we’re actively going out there to find those companies that know exactly what they are trying to solve,” Ma noted. “Those companies are not just out there raising money like anyone else, because they’ve got valuation. They are raising money because they truly understand specific industry-related problems and know how much one may need to become profitable.” Anthony Woo, vice-president of product strategy of Digital Transaction Ltd, agreed. He believed the overall investment community is shifting from an overly excessive focus on matrix and statistics. “The general overall mentality is changing today in the sense that plenty of investors are doing soul searching and reflection to deeply understand what they’re investing in,” he said. As the next big things like big data, artificial intelligence and 5G stand as the highly sought-after investment themes on everyone’s lip, investors nowadays have a lot of homework to do to deeply understand what they are investing in, he said. “Looking for the network, showing your ideas and working with other people — this is the winning formula I can offer for entrepreneurs,” said John Ason, professional angel investor of Kewpie Associates. “We’re obsessed with failure and we’re obsessed with success. But both of them are just a snapshot in journey. There are companies out there that have failed multiple times. There’re also companies that were runaway successes but have disappeared nowadays,” said Ma. “More focus should be put on the journey, rather than the snapshots,” he stressed.
2019-11-05The Cyberport Venture Capital Forum — one of the landmark tech investment events in Hong Kong’s iconic technology park — has further fueled corporate venture funding, with up to HK$360 million in funds secured for its startups. The forum unveiled a series of outstanding achievements of the Cyberport Investors Network (CIN) — its flagship fundraising project for tech startups. The accomplishments included a total of HK$360 million ($46 million) of funds raised — a huge amount of incoming incentives for Cyberport’s startups. Titled “New Frontier of Tech Venturing”, the first day of the event was packed with a plethora of illuminating keynotes and panel discussions and uncovered the latest trends in the tech venture capital market. Nicholas Yang Wei-hsiung, secretary for innovation and technology of the Hong Kong SAR; George Lam, chairman of Cyberport; Peter Yan, CEO of Cyberport; Duncan Chiu, chairman of Steering Group of the CIN; and new Chairperson Cindy Chow were among those who officiated the forum’s opening ceremony on Tuesday. Lam expressed confidence in Hong Kong’s venture capital market, believing that the rapid development of technology and digital transformation in Asia have not slowed down despite the impact brought on by the macro environment. He said the Cyberport Macro Fund has invested HK$106 million in 14 startups so far, and has brought nearly HK$500 million in co-investments since its launch, bringing total investments in startups to more than HK$600 million, exemplifying the strength and potential of local startups. “Facing the challenges ahead, I believe Hong Kong’s development in innovation and technology will continue to march forward while seizing new opportunities arising from the Bay Area,” Lam said. Lam’s remarks echoed those of Chiu, who said: “Beyond the heartening progress we’ve made in investments, this year, we’ve been successful in bringing in more investors from the Bay Area. We believe this will stimulate deal flow and help our local startups tapping into the Bay Area market, while promoting synergy and development within the region’s technology ecosystem.” One of the forum’s focuses is on corporate venture, and an impressive lineup, including representatives from C capital, CLP Holdings, PM Equity Partner and China Resources Capital, was assembled to impart insight on their partnerships with private and institutional investors to create value for their own businesses. The two-day event featured more than 40 leading industry leaders, investors and tech startups, as well as rising stars from the Cyberport community.
2019-11-05Cooperation and collaboration are needed to further promote the tourism industry and enhance ties, said speakers at a forum in Macao. Currently, Argentina and Brazil are working on mutual acceptance for a Chinese tourist visa that will allow Chinese travelers to visit both countries, said Argentinian Tourism Minister Gustavo Santos, adding that the talks on this measure can be extended to other countries in South America. Argentina signed an agreement on Oct 14 on mutual visa-exemption with Macao, which allows travelers from Macao to enter Argentina for up to 30 days without the need for a visa. The measure will be effective from mid-November. “We have built trust (with China) … and this trust will create friendship,” said Santos, noting his country can also help China fulfill its aspiration to develop soccer. Santos was speaking at the 8th Global Tourism Economy Forum held in Macao on Oct 13-15. This year marks the 47th and 45th anniversaries of China’s diplomatic ties with Argentina and Brazil, respectively. The two South American countries were featured as partner countries of this year’s GTEF. “Brazil is going through an important process now … and (the country) highlights its closeness to China,” said Brazilian Tourism Minister Marcelo Alvaro Antonio, adding Chinese investment in the tourism sector is welcome as he hoped to see closer bilateral cooperation through tourism. “China can become our biggest partner in tourism … we want to transform our partnership, not just in the economic area but also in the tourism area,” said Antonio, adding that Brazil is also working to allow the issuance of electronic visas for Chinese tourists, in order to facilitate exchange between the two countries. Hosted by Macao’s Secretariat for Social Affairs and Culture in cooperation with the United Nations World Tourism Organization, the forum brought together government officials, industry leaders and academic experts from around the world to share their insights under the theme “Tourism and Leisure: Roadmap to a Beautiful Life”. Santos said tourism provides great opportunities for the world, particularly in job creation. About 10 percent of the world’s workforce is associated with tourism, according to the UNWTO. Noting that tourism is about healthy lifestyles and the well-being of society, Zurab Pololikashvili, the UNWTO’s secretary-general, said cooperation and experience-sharing are needed for stronger growth. He encouraged active participation from the private sector, including cooperating with the public sector to jointly keep pace with the fast-growing industry. This year marks the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China and the 20th anniversary of the establishment of the Macao Special Administrative Region. Former Macao chief executive Edmund Ho Hau-wah, who is now vice-chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference and chairman of the GTEF, said the unveiling of the ‘Outline Development Plan for the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area’ early this year gives Macao new missions to achieve at this significant moment in history. The Greater Bay Area covers nine cities in Guangdong province and the Hong Kong and Macao SARs.
2019-10-21Riding high on the rapid development of the Bay Area, Macao is diversifying tourism and seeking areas with growth potential, said Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes, director of the Macao Government Tourism Office. “Having the (Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater) Bay Area as a conjunction of different attractions will help to create more synergies and also bring in tourists from areas that Macao on its own cannot tap into,” she told China Daily on the sidelines of the eighth Global Tourism Economy Forum in Macao on Tuesday. About 40 million tourists arrivals to Macao are expected this year, according to Senna Fernandes. The Bay Area development plan, unveiled in February, will lure more people to visit Macao while encouraging the exchange of ideas in the region. However, there are still major challenges facing Macao, noted Senna Fernandes. With a total land area of about 32 square kilometers, the number of attractions Macao can create and the city’s ability to accommodate visitors are limited, she explained. It is also difficult for the city to encourage long-haul flights to Macao given its small market size. To tackle these drawbacks, Macao is working to improve its tourist products, noted Senna Fernandes. The city also plans to host a variety of activities that appeal to people with different tastes and lifestyles. “The product development side will always feature heavily on Macao itself and we are now working with different entities to develop tourism products in various areas of Macao,” Senna Fernandes said. In addition, Macao hopes to attract more visitors to connect their flights in the city with strong support from the Bay Area development plan, she said. Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes, director of the Macao Government Tourism Office, elaborates on ways for the gambling mecca to develop itself into a well-rounded tourism hub. (CALVIN NG / CHINA DAILY) Backed by Bay Area Since April, the Macao SAR government has presented its half-year-long international art and cultural event Art Macao. This coincides with celebrations of the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China and the 20th anniversary of the establishment of the Macao SAR. The art festival features the Macao Orchestra and the Macao Chinese Orchestra concerts, Macao Cultural Centre signature programs, international youth festivals and visual arts exhibitions at higher education institutions. For the long-term, sustainable development of Macao as a travel destination, Senna Fernandes said, it would continue to serve as a tourism training base for the Bay Area. This is the eighth year Macao has held the Global Tourism Economy Forum. This provides a platform for different countries and regions to exchange ideas and insights on tourism development, while also boosting sustainable tourism, she said. A forum reinventing itself As vice-chairman of GTEF, Senna Fernandes said the annual forum was progressing by introducing new elements each year. For instance, the forum set up exhibition sites a few years ago designated for people in the industry to exchange ideas and ink agreements. This year, the forum set up the first World Tourism Investment and Financing Conference, which gathered leading international investment experts and tourism leaders. They shared their insights on investment and inspired delegates to explore new opportunities in tourism markets involved in the Belt and Road Initiative and across the Bay Area. “Every year, the forum aims to improve itself and try to continuously serve as a very good base for the exchange of ideas while at the same time doing solid business,” Senna Fernandes said. She added that these insights are the most valuable outcome of the forum. Industrial experts and leaders offer practical ideas on how to improve tourism. As Macao celebrates the 20th anniversary of its return to the motherland this year, the SAR government has planned a series of celebratory tourism events. Coincidentally, it is also the year of the 30th Macao International Fireworks Display Contest, which took place throughout the Mid-Autumn Festival and the National Day holidays. “We branded it as a dual celebration of the anniversaries of Macao returning to the motherland and for the fireworks contest,” said Senna Fernandes. People in Macao and Zhuhai’s Hengqin New Area will be treated to firework shows on Dec 20. “It’s the first time for us to launch a fireworks display together with Hengqin; we hope that it will be a very glamorous evening for everybody,” added Senna Fernandes.
2019-10-16For Immediate Release PRESS RELEASE Greater Bay Area Tourism Development: An Integrated Approach for Well-being OCT 15, 2019, MACAO : Co-organized by China Daily and the Global Tourism Economy Forum, the Special Interview session, themed “Greater Bay Area Tourism Development: An Integrated Approach for Well being” will be held in Macao on Tuesday, Oct 15, 2019. The conference attracted nearly 300 government officials, business leaders and academics. Ms. Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes , Director, Macao Government Tourism Office; Vice Chairman, Global Tourism Economy Forum , delivered the session keynote address. She pointed out the positioning of Macao in Greater Bay Area is to develop into a World Centre of Tourism and Leisure and the Commercial and Trade Cooperation Service Platform between China and Portuguese speaking Countries, promote an appropriate level of diversified economic development, and develop into a base for exchange and cooperation where Chinese culture is the mainstream and diverse cultures coexist, and strengthen the role of Macao as One Centre, One Platform. She pointed out that a round 40 million tourists are expected to visit Macao this year, but rather than simply increasing the number of visitors, what Macao needs is how to change the types of tourists structurally. She said that in Aug 2017, the Macao SAR Government signed the “Framework Agreement of Strategic Cooperation on Smart City Development” with the Alibaba Group in order to better help tourists experience Macao . She highlighted the importance of smart tourism in developing Macao into Smart City. She said that since 2017, Macao Government Tourism Office has started to cooperate with Alibaba Cloud to develop smart tourism and has jointly developed three projects in 2019, including tourism information interchange platform , application for visitor insights, and Smart application for visitor flows. She hopes the experience of visitors before, during and after the journey can be enhanced through the various applications of smart travel. The Special Interview follows by the keynote address had three distinguished speakers to share their views on the tourism development of the Greater Bay Area. They are Mr. Daniel Fong, Director, Nam Kwong (Group) Company Ltd. and Chairman of Board, China Travel Service (Macao) Ltd.;Dr . Jia Jiaya , Professor, Department of Computer Science and Engineering, the Chinese University of Hong Kong and Distinguished Scientist and Director, Tencent Youtu Lab; and Mr. Peter Lv , Executive Director an d General Manager, Huafa Sports Operations Management Co., Ltd. Mr. Fong said tourists used to rely on the travel agencies when travelling since the internet was not well developed and many tourists knew little about the outside world. He pointed out that with drastic changes taken place in tourists’ demand, the number of people choosing free and independent travel increased greatly. In order to develop high quality tourism, the tourism industry needs to better serve the tourists by providing them with products that meet their demand. Dr . Jia said with the use of technology being improved in various industries, technology is poised to be a major driver for the tourism industry in the next five to ten years. For instance, powered by the artificial intelligence, smart recommendations for tourism sites and route planning will allow people of different background and ages to receive recommendations for travel based on their own interest. Mr. Lv said sports will play a more important role in promoting the development of the tourism industry. He takes marathon as an example. A round 1,500 marathon races were held in China in 2018, attracting more than 5 million people to attend. In Zhuhai, about 60-70 percent of participants of races held by Huafa Sports are not from the local area. He hopes his company will have the chance to hold a marathon race on the Hong Kong Zhuhai Macao Bridge. About China Daily Founded in 1981, China Daily covers 200 million readers and users worldwide through diversified platforms, including newspapers, websites, and mobiles and social media. The number of China Daily’s followers had now reached 46.5 million on Weibo, 5.8 million on the WeChat Blog platform, and another 80 million on Facebook. About China Daily Asia Leadership Roundtable The China Daily Asia Leadership Roundtable is a by invitation network of movers and shakers in Asia providing platforms for focused dialogue, issue investigation, and possible collective action on strategic issues relating to economic, business and social development in Asia. Our aim is to enhance communication and increase mutual understanding between China, Asian and Western countries. Roundtable events are held in major cities across Asia.
2019-10-15Riding high on the goals and undertakings of the high-profile Belt and Road Initiative and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area mega plan, Macao, with the “one country, two system” principle as its major advantage, is sparing no effort to consolidate its position as a tourist magnet. The city underscored this vision when the eighth session of the Global Tourism Economy Forum (GTEF) kicked off in Macao on Monday. Hosted by Macao’s Secretariat for Social Affairs and Culture, the two-day event is promoting international dialogue with the theme “Tourism and Leisure: Roadmap to a Beautiful Life” — a proactive response to “the China Dream” as outlined by President Xi Jinping, who stressed: “People’s yearning for a good and beautiful life is the goal for us to strive for.” This year, the event takes on a new significance as Macao celebrates its 20th anniversary of its return to the motherland. In his welcoming address, former Macao chief executive Edmund Ho Hau-wah, who is now vice-chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference and chairman of the GTEF, said the event stands as a “once-in-a-lifetime chance” for Macao to be identified as one of the four core cities and core engines for driving development in the region, together with its counterparts Hong Kong, Shenzhen and Guangzhou, in the Greater Bay Area Outline Development Plan, which the State Council released in February. The principle of “one country, two systems” offers Macao, where East meets West, the best of both worlds. The principle enables the city to keep its way of life and freedom while tapping the opportunities and benefits arising from reuniting with the Chinese mainland, Macao Chief Executive Fernando Chui Sai-on said. “For years, tourism has long been the pillar of Macao’s economy,” Chui said. Since the establishment of the Macao SAR government in 1999, the tourism industry has been on a tear in the territory. Visitor arrivals to Macao have quadrupled, and the number of hotel rooms has tripled, he said. Zurab Pololikashvili, who is in the second year of a four-year term as secretary-general of the World Tourism Organization, stressed the forum charts its course of making Macao “the next Davos” for visitors — a step closer to the promise made at last year’s event. This year, Argentina and Brazil are featured as the partnered countries of the event. Argentine Tourism Minister Gustavo Santos, who traveled thousands of kilometers from the other side of the world to Macao, said he believes tourism could go beyond the geographical distance and connect countries and regions together. “Argentina, Brazil and China are closer than ever before, as the three great nations share the same rhythm,” he said. Zhang Xu, vice-minister of culture and tourism, also lauded the continued potential of tourism in Macao. “As the growing rhetoric and mentality of protectionism today cast a shadow over the globe, the tourism industry, with its inherent spirit of openness and collaboration, has what it takes to be one of the most prominent growth engines for the global economy. It is high time for Macao to make a difference,” he said. The forum is billed as one of the leading annual events in the global tourism calendar and the single most representative non-governmental tourism platform in China. Since its inception in 2012, it has attracted more than 10,783 participants from 89 countries and regions, including delegations from 147 provinces and cities from the Chinese mainland, and invited 570 of the world’s most influential business leaders, decision-makers and academics to share their insights. In conjunction with this year’s GTEF, China Daily will host a panel discussion for the eighth consecutive year. The event will bring together distinguished academics, policymakers and industry heavyweights to share their insights on how a globally competitive cluster of metropolises in the making under the grand plan of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area could be turned into a world-class tourism destination and bring dramatic changes to the regional tourism market. The dialogue, titled “Greater Bay Area Tourism Development: An Integrated Approach for Well-Being”, will be held today in Macao.
2019-10-15新闻稿 即时发布 中国日报10月15日澳门电 今日中国日报第八度携手“世界旅游经济论坛”在澳门合办题为“粤港澳大湾区旅游发展:综合建设美好生活”的专题研讨会,吸引逾300名来自政商学界的高端人士参会。 澳门特别行政区政府旅游局局长文绮华出席活动并发表主旨演讲。文绮华强调,智慧旅游是将澳门发展成为智慧城市的一个切入点。澳门特区政府旅游局与阿里巴巴集团在2017年8月签署构建智慧城市战略合作框架协议,并于2019 合力开发三个资讯科技项目,包括旅游资讯交换平台、旅客洞察应用和智慧客流应用。她期望透过智慧旅游的软件,加强旅客的游览体验,并利用资讯技术对不同群体宣传不同主题的澳门旅游产品,进行精准营销。 南光(集团)有限公司董事、澳门中国旅行社股份有限公司董事长方立群指出,随着游客的需求发生巨大变化,自由行的人数显着上升,想要发展优质旅游,旅游业需要更好地服务旅客,提供符合旅客需求的产品。 香港中文大学计算机科学与工程学系终身教授、腾讯优图X-Lab 杰出科学家及实验室负责人贾佳亚说,随着各个行业的科技水平都在不断提高,科技在未来5至10年会对旅游有巨大推动作用。例如智能推荐和智能路线规划的功能,可以通过判断个人的兴趣爱好,来为不同群体、不同年龄层的游客推荐相应的景点,实现千人千面的旅游新方式。 华发体育运营管理有限公司执行董事兼总经理吕品德表示,他相信未来体育产品对旅游的拉动作用会越来越大,希望有机会在港珠澳大桥上举办马拉松比赛。他以马拉松赛事为例,2018年中国约举办1500场马拉松比赛,吸引超过500万人参与,而华发体育在珠海举办的马拉松比赛中,约有60%至70%的参与人士来自外地。 关于中国日报 中国日报是中国国家英文日报,创刊于1981年,拥有报纸、网站、移动客户端、脸谱、推特、微博、微信、电子报等十余种媒介平台,全媒体用户总数超过2亿。截至2019年9月,中国日报微博粉丝数超过4650万;微信订阅人数640万,客户端全球下载用户超过2200万,是我国唯一下载量过千万的英文新闻客户端;脸谱账号粉丝数超过8000万,位居全球媒体账号粉丝数第二位;推特账号粉丝数430万。 关于中国日报亚洲领袖圆桌论坛 亚洲领袖圆桌论坛(www.cdroundtable.com),旨在搭建一个由亚洲国家和地区的政、商、学界领袖和社会精英参与的高端对话和交流平台,围绕亚洲地区经济、商业、产业和社会发展等具有战略影响的重要议题展开讨论和分享见解,以增进中国与亚洲和西方国家的交流和理解。
2019-10-15MACAO – As tourism continues to be a major economic contributor around the world, the industry not only helps create jobs but also helps build a better humanity, a leading global tourism platform has heard. The tourism industry has become an important contributor to meet people’s demand for a better life in China, Zhang Xu, vice-minister of China’s Ministry of Culture and Tourism, said at the second day of the Global Tourism Economy Forum, in Macao on Monday. In the face of global uncertainties, tourism helps promote connectivity in policy, infrastructure, trade, finance and people, said Zhang. Also speaking at the opening ceremony, Gustavo Santos, Argentina's Minister of Tourism, said, “Tourism gives tourists the chance to meet people who are different from them, learn from each other, and understand each other." Also speaking at the opening ceremony, Gustavo Santos, Argentina's Minister of Tourism, said, “Tourism gives tourists the chance to meet people who are different from them, learn from each other, and understand each other."
2019-10-14新闻稿 即时发布 “促进创新与可持续发展,共创大湾区新机遇” 2019粤港澳大湾区论坛在港举行 中国日报香港10月10日电 由中国日报与丝绸之路经济发展研究中心合办的题为“促进创新与可持续发展,共创大湾区新机遇”的粤港澳大湾区论坛10月10日在香港举行,近300名来自政商学界的高端人士参会,其中包括近30位外国驻港领事。 全国政协副主席梁振英出席论坛并发表主旨演讲。他认为,在基本法的框架内推动政策创新,将为整个大湾区的协同驱动和共同繁荣提供主要的发展动力。 梁振英表示,政策创新是粤港澳大湾区的关键,这需要用政治决心来完成,虽然过程艰苦,但可以带来丰厚的回报。他提出五项政策创新点的思路,包括:充分发挥港珠澳大桥的潜力,设立新政策使所有香港私家车辆可经此桥前往广东,并设定配额申请制避免交通堵塞;配合港珠澳大桥的放开,给予已成为香港永久居民的外国人可凭香港永久居民身份证或大湾区特别通行证前往其他湾区城市的便利,尤其是方便就读于广东省内国际学校住宿生的父母;向香港居民开放粤港澳大湾区所有城市的住房市场,提高港人居住在内地的数量、提升港人对广东的认识和对内地的亲近感;进一步开放专业服务市场;放宽对合格科学家在落马洲河套地区工作的入境限制等。 首场专题研讨会由香港大学专业进修学院董事局主席陈坤耀主持,四位演讲嘉宾围绕“大湾区跨界商业合作”展开讨论。 华润集团董事长傅育宁因公务未能出席讨论会,代表他出席的华润集团战略管理部高级副总监余忠良在研讨会上表示,他一向看好大湾区的发展。他说,华润集团积极布局湾区多业务平台,有大消费、大健康、城市建设与运营、能源服务、科技与金融等五大产业,目前华润集团在粤港澳大湾区的投资回报远远超于其他地区。 粤港澳大湾区研究院院长申明浩说,1978年中国的改革开放源于跨界跨境的合作,而如今粤港澳大湾区的横空出世开启了改革开放新时代的篇章,新时代将会聚焦高质量的发展。湾区的高质量发展为中国未来发展赋予了新的动能。科技的创新和运用,中国内需的扩大,新商业模式的规模化推广,“一带一路”战略的支持以及一体化生活圈概念发展,为跨界跨境发资源整合提供了全新的动能。 英国地产发展商欧域资本行政总裁潘永生说,他看到了粤港澳大湾区无限的发展潜力,大湾区内的各个城市各有特色,有着跨境合作的天然内在需求。 香港律师会“一带一路”委员会及粤港澳大湾区工作小组主席苏绍聪表示,他希望香港的法律服务行业更好地拥抱创新的科学技术,通过加强与深圳的合作,帮助香港传统法律行业在科技时代焕发新的生机。 第二场专题研讨会以“智能医疗的演化:技术与互联资料”为主题,由香港中文大学医院执行董事及行政总裁冯康主持,演讲嘉宾围绕大数据分析的相关智能医疗发展,及其为本行业及周边行业所带来的机遇进行讨论。 在区域医疗合作方面,香港大学一直是开拓实践的排头兵。早在2012年就涉足内地医疗系统,并引进香港模式培训内地医生。并于2015年设立香港大学深圳医院,是内地公立医院的改革试点。院长卢宠茂指出,香港大学深圳医院建立了内地和香港医疗体系的混合体系。香港医疗体系的优势在于它的国际化和标准化,而内地的优势在于巨大的数量和高效率。同时,内地具有创业的因素,并且是市场驱动的。在某种程度上,把两种系统的优点结合起来,将会成为最好的范本。 相达生物科技创办人及行政总裁招彦焘认为,粤港澳大湾区的发展弥补了香港的许多不足,香港地生物医疗科技企业可以进一步拓展大湾区市场,将视野放至整个大湾区。 前医院管理局财务总管及总监(财务及信息科技服务)谢秀玲指出,医疗保健业可以与金融科技公司合作,更高效、更具有成本效益地提供医疗保健服务。 东英/碳云大健康投资与商务委员会主席张高波认为中国庞大的人口数量、先进的移动互联网水平和有力的政策,为推动医疗保健数据化提供了良好基础。为此他做了大胆的预想:往后10年,世界上最伟大的公司一定会出在医疗保健领域,而这个公司有极大可能会出现在中国。 此外,论坛还专设主题为“深圳先行示范区:香港的机遇与挑战”的专题对话环节,深圳市前海管理局香港事务首席联络官洪为民和中国(深圳)综合开发研究院常务副院长郭万达一同分析深圳先行示范区的建设将为香港带来的机遇与挑战。 关于中国日报 中国日报是中国国家英文日报,创刊于1981年,拥有报纸、网站、移动客户端、脸谱、推特、微博、微信、电子报等十余种媒介平台,全媒体用户总数超过2亿。截至2019年9月,中国日报微博粉丝数超过4650万;微信订阅人数640万,客户端全球下载用户超过2200万,是我国唯一下载量过千万的英文新闻客户端;脸谱账号粉丝数超过8000万,位居全球媒体账号粉丝数第二位;推特账号粉丝数430万。 关于亚洲领袖圆桌论坛 中国日报亚洲领袖圆桌论坛(www.cdroundtable.com),旨在搭建一个由亚洲国家和地区的政、商、学界领袖和社会精英参与的高端对话和交流平台,围绕亚洲地区经济、商业、产业和社会发展等具有战略影响的重要议题展开讨论和分享见解,以增进中国与亚洲和西方国家的交流和理解。
2019-10-10For Immediate Release PRESS RELEASE Greater Bay Area Conference: Inclusive Growth through Innovation and Sustainability Oct 10, 2019, Hong Kong: Co-organized by China Daily and the Silk Road Economic Development Research Center, the 5th Greater Bay Area Conference, previously known as Belt and Road Conference, was held in Hong Kong on Thursday, Oct 10, 2019. The conference attracted nearly 300 political and business leaders, including nearly 30 Consulate Generals. Mr. C Y LEUNG, GBM, GBS, JP, Vice-Chairman, the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, delivered the keynote address in the conference. He said that there is a need for policy innovation to lower or remove the barriers between the two Systems and three customs jurisdictions that coexist in the Bay Area. Mr. Leung highlighted that government policy innovation is vital to the development of the Bay Area. He suggested five new government policy innovations in the speech, including using the Hong Kong Macau Bridge to its fullest potential, letting Hong Kong permanent residents who are not Chinese nationals to go the Bay Area cities in Guangdong without having to apply for a visa, opening up the housing markets in all the Guangdong Bay Area cities to Hong Kong residents, further opening up the professional services market and relaxing entry restrictions for qualified scientists to work in the Lok Ma Chau Loop. The first panel discussion themed “Cross-sector Business Collaboration in the Greater Bay Area”, was chaired by Prof. CHEN Kwan Yiu Edward, GBS, CBE, JP, Chairman, HKU School of Professional and Continuing Education. Four guest speakers examined how various sectors can work together to reap opportunities in the Greater Bay Area. Mr. Max YU, Senior Deputy Chief Strategy Officer, Strategy Management Department of China Resources (Holdings) Co, Ltd ,said that he always has confidence in the development of Greater Bay Area. He said China Resources Group is taking initiative in developing business in the Greater Bay Area including FinTech, medical services, consumer products, urban construction and energy service etc. He mentioned that the return on investment of China Resources Group in Greater Bay Area is far more than that in other regions. Prof. SHEN Minghao, Dean, Great Bay Area Institute (Guangdong, Hongkong, Macau), said that the Greater Bay Area marks the new chapter of Reform and Opening. The high-quality development of the Greater Bay Area is a new motivation for the future development of China. He thinks that the cities within the Greater Bay Area have different characteristics. There is a natural internal need for trans-regional cooperation. Dr. Thomas S. T. SO, Chairman of Belt and Road Committee and Greater Bay Area Working Group, the Law Society of Hong Kong, said he hopes the law service industry in Hong Kong can embrace the advanced technology. He thinks that the traditional law industry in Hong Kong can have new development in the era of advanced technology through strengthening cooperation with Shenzhen. The second panel discussion themed “Evolution of Smart Healthcare: Technology & Connected Data”, was chaired by Prof. Hong FUNG, JP, Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer, CUHK Medical Centre. Guest speakers had in-depth discussions about the evolution of smart healthcare, including big data analysis, and the opportunities it opens up across the sector and other peripheral industries. In the aspect of trans-regional medical cooperation, the University of Hong Kong has always been the pioneer. Since 2015, Faculty of Medicine of the University of Hong Kong has collaborated with the Shenzhen Municipal Government to operate the HKU-Shenzhen Hospital, which marked the reform of the public hospitals in the mainland. Prof. Chung-Mau LO, Hospital Chief Executive, the University of Hong Kong-Shenzhen Hospital, said that HKU-Shenzhen Hospital is the combination of the medical systems applied in the mainland and Hong Kong. He said that the medical system of Hong Kong has advantages in professionalism and internationalism while the medical system of the mainland has comparative advantages in its quantities and efficiency. He thinks that combining the advantages of these two medical systems will become the best sample of medical system in certain extent. Dr. Ricky Yin-To CHIU, Founder & CEO, PHASE Scientific, said that the development of Greater Bay Area Conference can compensate the insufficiency of Hong Kong. He thinks that the Bio-Meditech enterprises in Hong Kong can further develop the market of Greater Bay Area. Ms. Nancy Sau Ling Tse, JP, Former Chief Financial Officer and Director (Finance and Information Technology Services), said that if enterprises that provide medical care can cooperate with FinTech enterprises, a more efficient and cost-effective medical care services can be provided. Mr. Gary ZHANG, Chairman, Oriental Patron / iCarbonX Health Care Investment and Business Committee, said that the high population, advanced mobile Internet and powerful policy of China provides a good foundation for pushing forward the digitization of medical care data. He makes a bold prediction that the most successful company in the world in ten years’ time will appear in the field of medical care and that company may appear in China possibly. In the lunch dialogue, themed "Shenzhen as a Pilot Demonstration Area: Opportunities and Challenges for Hong Kong", Prof. Witman HUNG, JP, Principal Liaison Officer for Hong Kong, Shenzhen Qianhai Authority and Dr. GUO Wanda, Executive Vice-President, the China Development Institute exchanged views on Hong Kong’s opportunities and challenges in turning Shenzhen into a pilot demonstration area. About China Daily Founded in 1981, China Daily covers 200 million readers and users worldwide through diversified platforms, including newspapers, websites, and mobiles and social media. The number of China Daily’s followers had now reached 46.5 million on Weibo, 5.8 million on the WeChat Blog platform, and another 80 million on Facebook. About China Daily Asia Leadership Roundtable The China Daily Asia Leadership Roundtable is a by invitation network of movers and shakers in Asia providing platforms for focused dialogue, issue investigation, and possible collective action on strategic issues relating to economic, business and social development in Asia. Our aim is to enhance communication and increase mutual understanding between China, Asian and Western countries. Roundtable events are held in major cities across Asia.
2019-10-10Major Hong Kong developer New World Development Co Ltd is promoting the Silicon Valley culture in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, nurturing small and innovative enterprises by providing opportunities for them to participate in the cultural, innovative and architectural projects in the region. “NWD’s concept is to incubate local small enterprises with innovative ideas and designs to provide them a platform to grow. And we want to replicate it in the Bay Area and other cities on the Chinese mainland,” said Jeff Tung Jing-kong, senior project director at the Project Management Department of New World Development. During the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Outstanding Cultural and Creative Industries Awards Ceremony on Friday, co-organized by China Daily and the Hang Seng University of Hong Kong, Tung said that Hong Kong architects are closely engaged on the Chinese mainland building industry with their extensive international exposure and experience, and are acquainted with new designs and new technologies. Meanwhile, the opportunities arising in the Bay Area could provide more opportunities for cooperation and achievement among the region. “The industry is evolving at a fast pace, and Hong Kong architects have to prepare to enrich themselves with new knowledge and technologies as the new generation in architecture on the Chinese mainland is fueled with full potential,” Tung said. Featuring the revitalization of Tsim Sha Tsui in the 1980s and 1990s, Victoria Dockside was developed by New World Development, which brought together more than 100 designers and architects to make waves with a ripple of exciting theatrical, art and cultural happenings at the city’s historic heart, Victoria Harbour. As the heart of Victoria Dockside, the newly opened cultural-retail destination K11 Musea connects and guides visitors among landmarks in the district as well as to the waterfront. To revive romantic ambience with Victoria Harbour as a backdrop, the Avenue of Stars and Salisbury Garden adopted a simple but people-oriented design, as well as environmental protection measures, Tung said. After the renovation, the Avenue of Stars got eight times more greenery, seven times more shading, and twice the seating capacity as before. The seating set up at the waterfront was designed with ideas to better serve the people. In addition, the group strives to apply innovative products for sustainable development in projects. For example, the low-energy consumption LED lighting design provides lighting, a power supply, a mobile signal and loudspeakers at the Avenue of Stars. A wave energy demonstrator has been introduced there to raise public awareness on renewable energy, Tung said. Together with landscape architect James Corner and his team, NWD opened up the space of Salisbury Garden and included an expansive, welcoming lawn in the center with doubled exhibition space which bring visitors closer to the waterfront and offer alternate views and experiences walking along the Avenue. Through the completion of Victoria Dockside, “we are connecting withVictoria Harbour to the people”, Tung said.
2019-09-06For Immediate Release PRESS RELEASE China Daily Gathers Investors to Discuss the New Formula for Early Stage & Angel Investment Nov 5, 2019, HK: Co-organized by China Daily and Cyberport Venture Capital Forum, a panel discussion session, themed “Then and Now: The New Formula for Early Stage & Angel Investment” was held at the Cyberport Venture Capital Forum on Tuesday, Nov 5, 2019. It attracted more than 300 venture capitalists, entrepreneurs and super angels. According to the statistic collected from June to September, the startup ecosystem of Hong Kong has skyrocketed in recent years. The total number of start-up increased from 2,625 to 3,184 from 2018 to 2019. The number of staff employed in start-ups increased from 9,548 to 12,478 from 2018 to 2019. However, in recent years, larger venture capital firms are becoming less active in funding start-ups and channelling their investments towards later-stage venture. This is giving rise to more angel investments and investor syndicates for seed and early stage. Furthermore, accredited investing portals have emerged to create connections between entrepreneurs and angels, bringing additional fluidity and ease to this market. The panel had four influential investors and experts. They are Mr. John ASON, Professional Angel Investor, Kewpie Associates; Mr. Anthony WOO, Vice-president of Product Strategy of Digital Transaction Limited; Mr. Vincent LAW, Founder and Managing Director, Spark Ventures; and Mr. Theodore MA, Managing Partner, CoCoon Ignite Ventures. They shared their views on the shift in the characteristics and examine the new formula of early stage and angel investments. Mr. Ason said that it’s the people that brings in other angels and other likely venture capitals. He advised entrepreneurs to look for the networking, show their ideas and work with other people. Mr. Woo pointed out that the general mentality is changing today in the sense that plenty of investors are doing more soul searching and reflection to deeply understand what they are investing in. He said that the due diligence should not only be based on social evidence - what other people are doing. For his company, they are trying to be more disciplined in the sense that they really try to understand tech itself. Mr. Law said that the local startup scene has changed a lot in the past few years as more and more new investors are joining the game, be it local venture capitals, corporate venture capitals, venture funds set up by family offices or funding schemes launched by the Hong Kong government and world-class incubators like Cyberport. Mr. Ma said that startup is really solving problems. He advised entrepreneurs should go out and talk to people in order to understand the needs in the market. From a venture capital’s point of view, they are investing companies to essentially give them more runways. Investment money isn’t the money that entrepreneurs make. Instead, entrepreneurs should get money from customers and customers are only willing to pay if they understand the companies are actually solving the problems. About China Daily Founded in 1981, China Daily covers 200 million readers and users worldwide through diversified platforms, including newspapers, websites, and mobiles and social media. The number of China Daily’s followers had now reached 46.5 million on Weibo, 5.8 million on the WeChat Blog platform, and another 80 million on Facebook. About China Daily Asia Leadership Roundtable The China Daily Asia Leadership Roundtable is a by-invitation network of movers and shakers in Asia providing platforms for focused dialogue, issue investigation, and possible collective action on strategic issues relating to economic, business and social development in Asia. Our aim is to enhance communication and increase mutual understanding between China, Asian and Western countries. Roundtable events are held in major cities across Asia.
2019-11-05In the buzzing world of startups, only focused and down-to-earth problem solvers could survive the stiff competition and attract venture capital to help them get off the ground, a China Daily Asia Leadership Roundtable forum heard on Tuesday. Getting money for startups could be a daunting task years ago, especially in Hong Kong, because traditional VC firms were more interested in putting money into startups in the relatively late stages of their lifecycle in exchange for more secure returns, said Vincent Law, founder and managing director of Spark Ventures. “In the past few years, however, the local startup scene has changed a lot as more and more new investors are joining the game, be it local VCs, corporate VCs, venture funds set up by family offices or funding schemes launched by the Hong Kong government and world-class incubators like Cyberport,” Law told the a panel discussion themed “Then and Now: The New Formula for Early Stage & Angel Investment”, held as part of the two-day Cyberport Venture Capital Forum in Hong Kong. Billed as Cyberport’s annual premier venture forum and the region’s signature venture conference, the forum kicked off, shedding light on the game-changing world of tech venturing. More importantly, the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, a national policy to replicate the success of other city clusters to promote the emergence of a regional powerhouse, spells potentially huge opportunities for Hong Kong startups with the foresight to jump on the bandwagon, Law said. The grand plan, which reinforces the theme of regional cooperation and integration, highlights a broader market to bolster the broader vision of startups in Hong Kong, he said. “If local startups heading north for greener pastures could expand their businesses across the region, it’s a perfect stepping stone for them to go global and get more funds.” In the second quarter of 2019, VC-backed companies raised $52.7 billion with 3,855 deals, according to data from KPMG. The role that venture capital has played in the startup scene can never be underestimated. “Startup is really about solving problems,” said Theodore Ma, managing partner at CoCoon Ignite Ventures. “From a VC’s point of view, we’re investing companies to essentially give them more runway. Investment money isn’t the money that you make. Instead, you should get money from customers and customers are only willing to pay if they understand you are actually solving the problems.” Ma said this points to a shift of focus among the investment community. Previously, VCs just looked at hundreds of companies and picked one with the most impressive statistics. “Today, we’re actively going out there to find those companies that know exactly what they are trying to solve,” Ma noted. “Those companies are not just out there raising money like anyone else, because they’ve got valuation. They are raising money because they truly understand specific industry-related problems and know how much one may need to become profitable.” Anthony Woo, vice-president of product strategy of Digital Transaction Ltd, agreed. He believed the overall investment community is shifting from an overly excessive focus on matrix and statistics. “The general overall mentality is changing today in the sense that plenty of investors are doing soul searching and reflection to deeply understand what they’re investing in,” he said. As the next big things like big data, artificial intelligence and 5G stand as the highly sought-after investment themes on everyone’s lip, investors nowadays have a lot of homework to do to deeply understand what they are investing in, he said. “Looking for the network, showing your ideas and working with other people — this is the winning formula I can offer for entrepreneurs,” said John Ason, professional angel investor of Kewpie Associates. “We’re obsessed with failure and we’re obsessed with success. But both of them are just a snapshot in journey. There are companies out there that have failed multiple times. There’re also companies that were runaway successes but have disappeared nowadays,” said Ma. “More focus should be put on the journey, rather than the snapshots,” he stressed.
2019-11-05The Cyberport Venture Capital Forum — one of the landmark tech investment events in Hong Kong’s iconic technology park — has further fueled corporate venture funding, with up to HK$360 million in funds secured for its startups. The forum unveiled a series of outstanding achievements of the Cyberport Investors Network (CIN) — its flagship fundraising project for tech startups. The accomplishments included a total of HK$360 million ($46 million) of funds raised — a huge amount of incoming incentives for Cyberport’s startups. Titled “New Frontier of Tech Venturing”, the first day of the event was packed with a plethora of illuminating keynotes and panel discussions and uncovered the latest trends in the tech venture capital market. Nicholas Yang Wei-hsiung, secretary for innovation and technology of the Hong Kong SAR; George Lam, chairman of Cyberport; Peter Yan, CEO of Cyberport; Duncan Chiu, chairman of Steering Group of the CIN; and new Chairperson Cindy Chow were among those who officiated the forum’s opening ceremony on Tuesday. Lam expressed confidence in Hong Kong’s venture capital market, believing that the rapid development of technology and digital transformation in Asia have not slowed down despite the impact brought on by the macro environment. He said the Cyberport Macro Fund has invested HK$106 million in 14 startups so far, and has brought nearly HK$500 million in co-investments since its launch, bringing total investments in startups to more than HK$600 million, exemplifying the strength and potential of local startups. “Facing the challenges ahead, I believe Hong Kong’s development in innovation and technology will continue to march forward while seizing new opportunities arising from the Bay Area,” Lam said. Lam’s remarks echoed those of Chiu, who said: “Beyond the heartening progress we’ve made in investments, this year, we’ve been successful in bringing in more investors from the Bay Area. We believe this will stimulate deal flow and help our local startups tapping into the Bay Area market, while promoting synergy and development within the region’s technology ecosystem.” One of the forum’s focuses is on corporate venture, and an impressive lineup, including representatives from C capital, CLP Holdings, PM Equity Partner and China Resources Capital, was assembled to impart insight on their partnerships with private and institutional investors to create value for their own businesses. The two-day event featured more than 40 leading industry leaders, investors and tech startups, as well as rising stars from the Cyberport community.
2019-11-05Cooperation and collaboration are needed to further promote the tourism industry and enhance ties, said speakers at a forum in Macao. Currently, Argentina and Brazil are working on mutual acceptance for a Chinese tourist visa that will allow Chinese travelers to visit both countries, said Argentinian Tourism Minister Gustavo Santos, adding that the talks on this measure can be extended to other countries in South America. Argentina signed an agreement on Oct 14 on mutual visa-exemption with Macao, which allows travelers from Macao to enter Argentina for up to 30 days without the need for a visa. The measure will be effective from mid-November. “We have built trust (with China) … and this trust will create friendship,” said Santos, noting his country can also help China fulfill its aspiration to develop soccer. Santos was speaking at the 8th Global Tourism Economy Forum held in Macao on Oct 13-15. This year marks the 47th and 45th anniversaries of China’s diplomatic ties with Argentina and Brazil, respectively. The two South American countries were featured as partner countries of this year’s GTEF. “Brazil is going through an important process now … and (the country) highlights its closeness to China,” said Brazilian Tourism Minister Marcelo Alvaro Antonio, adding Chinese investment in the tourism sector is welcome as he hoped to see closer bilateral cooperation through tourism. “China can become our biggest partner in tourism … we want to transform our partnership, not just in the economic area but also in the tourism area,” said Antonio, adding that Brazil is also working to allow the issuance of electronic visas for Chinese tourists, in order to facilitate exchange between the two countries. Hosted by Macao’s Secretariat for Social Affairs and Culture in cooperation with the United Nations World Tourism Organization, the forum brought together government officials, industry leaders and academic experts from around the world to share their insights under the theme “Tourism and Leisure: Roadmap to a Beautiful Life”. Santos said tourism provides great opportunities for the world, particularly in job creation. About 10 percent of the world’s workforce is associated with tourism, according to the UNWTO. Noting that tourism is about healthy lifestyles and the well-being of society, Zurab Pololikashvili, the UNWTO’s secretary-general, said cooperation and experience-sharing are needed for stronger growth. He encouraged active participation from the private sector, including cooperating with the public sector to jointly keep pace with the fast-growing industry. This year marks the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China and the 20th anniversary of the establishment of the Macao Special Administrative Region. Former Macao chief executive Edmund Ho Hau-wah, who is now vice-chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference and chairman of the GTEF, said the unveiling of the ‘Outline Development Plan for the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area’ early this year gives Macao new missions to achieve at this significant moment in history. The Greater Bay Area covers nine cities in Guangdong province and the Hong Kong and Macao SARs.
2019-10-21Riding high on the rapid development of the Bay Area, Macao is diversifying tourism and seeking areas with growth potential, said Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes, director of the Macao Government Tourism Office. “Having the (Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater) Bay Area as a conjunction of different attractions will help to create more synergies and also bring in tourists from areas that Macao on its own cannot tap into,” she told China Daily on the sidelines of the eighth Global Tourism Economy Forum in Macao on Tuesday. About 40 million tourists arrivals to Macao are expected this year, according to Senna Fernandes. The Bay Area development plan, unveiled in February, will lure more people to visit Macao while encouraging the exchange of ideas in the region. However, there are still major challenges facing Macao, noted Senna Fernandes. With a total land area of about 32 square kilometers, the number of attractions Macao can create and the city’s ability to accommodate visitors are limited, she explained. It is also difficult for the city to encourage long-haul flights to Macao given its small market size. To tackle these drawbacks, Macao is working to improve its tourist products, noted Senna Fernandes. The city also plans to host a variety of activities that appeal to people with different tastes and lifestyles. “The product development side will always feature heavily on Macao itself and we are now working with different entities to develop tourism products in various areas of Macao,” Senna Fernandes said. In addition, Macao hopes to attract more visitors to connect their flights in the city with strong support from the Bay Area development plan, she said. Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes, director of the Macao Government Tourism Office, elaborates on ways for the gambling mecca to develop itself into a well-rounded tourism hub. (CALVIN NG / CHINA DAILY) Backed by Bay Area Since April, the Macao SAR government has presented its half-year-long international art and cultural event Art Macao. This coincides with celebrations of the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China and the 20th anniversary of the establishment of the Macao SAR. The art festival features the Macao Orchestra and the Macao Chinese Orchestra concerts, Macao Cultural Centre signature programs, international youth festivals and visual arts exhibitions at higher education institutions. For the long-term, sustainable development of Macao as a travel destination, Senna Fernandes said, it would continue to serve as a tourism training base for the Bay Area. This is the eighth year Macao has held the Global Tourism Economy Forum. This provides a platform for different countries and regions to exchange ideas and insights on tourism development, while also boosting sustainable tourism, she said. A forum reinventing itself As vice-chairman of GTEF, Senna Fernandes said the annual forum was progressing by introducing new elements each year. For instance, the forum set up exhibition sites a few years ago designated for people in the industry to exchange ideas and ink agreements. This year, the forum set up the first World Tourism Investment and Financing Conference, which gathered leading international investment experts and tourism leaders. They shared their insights on investment and inspired delegates to explore new opportunities in tourism markets involved in the Belt and Road Initiative and across the Bay Area. “Every year, the forum aims to improve itself and try to continuously serve as a very good base for the exchange of ideas while at the same time doing solid business,” Senna Fernandes said. She added that these insights are the most valuable outcome of the forum. Industrial experts and leaders offer practical ideas on how to improve tourism. As Macao celebrates the 20th anniversary of its return to the motherland this year, the SAR government has planned a series of celebratory tourism events. Coincidentally, it is also the year of the 30th Macao International Fireworks Display Contest, which took place throughout the Mid-Autumn Festival and the National Day holidays. “We branded it as a dual celebration of the anniversaries of Macao returning to the motherland and for the fireworks contest,” said Senna Fernandes. People in Macao and Zhuhai’s Hengqin New Area will be treated to firework shows on Dec 20. “It’s the first time for us to launch a fireworks display together with Hengqin; we hope that it will be a very glamorous evening for everybody,” added Senna Fernandes.
2019-10-16For Immediate Release PRESS RELEASE Greater Bay Area Tourism Development: An Integrated Approach for Well-being OCT 15, 2019, MACAO : Co-organized by China Daily and the Global Tourism Economy Forum, the Special Interview session, themed “Greater Bay Area Tourism Development: An Integrated Approach for Well being” will be held in Macao on Tuesday, Oct 15, 2019. The conference attracted nearly 300 government officials, business leaders and academics. Ms. Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes , Director, Macao Government Tourism Office; Vice Chairman, Global Tourism Economy Forum , delivered the session keynote address. She pointed out the positioning of Macao in Greater Bay Area is to develop into a World Centre of Tourism and Leisure and the Commercial and Trade Cooperation Service Platform between China and Portuguese speaking Countries, promote an appropriate level of diversified economic development, and develop into a base for exchange and cooperation where Chinese culture is the mainstream and diverse cultures coexist, and strengthen the role of Macao as One Centre, One Platform. She pointed out that a round 40 million tourists are expected to visit Macao this year, but rather than simply increasing the number of visitors, what Macao needs is how to change the types of tourists structurally. She said that in Aug 2017, the Macao SAR Government signed the “Framework Agreement of Strategic Cooperation on Smart City Development” with the Alibaba Group in order to better help tourists experience Macao . She highlighted the importance of smart tourism in developing Macao into Smart City. She said that since 2017, Macao Government Tourism Office has started to cooperate with Alibaba Cloud to develop smart tourism and has jointly developed three projects in 2019, including tourism information interchange platform , application for visitor insights, and Smart application for visitor flows. She hopes the experience of visitors before, during and after the journey can be enhanced through the various applications of smart travel. The Special Interview follows by the keynote address had three distinguished speakers to share their views on the tourism development of the Greater Bay Area. They are Mr. Daniel Fong, Director, Nam Kwong (Group) Company Ltd. and Chairman of Board, China Travel Service (Macao) Ltd.;Dr . Jia Jiaya , Professor, Department of Computer Science and Engineering, the Chinese University of Hong Kong and Distinguished Scientist and Director, Tencent Youtu Lab; and Mr. Peter Lv , Executive Director an d General Manager, Huafa Sports Operations Management Co., Ltd. Mr. Fong said tourists used to rely on the travel agencies when travelling since the internet was not well developed and many tourists knew little about the outside world. He pointed out that with drastic changes taken place in tourists’ demand, the number of people choosing free and independent travel increased greatly. In order to develop high quality tourism, the tourism industry needs to better serve the tourists by providing them with products that meet their demand. Dr . Jia said with the use of technology being improved in various industries, technology is poised to be a major driver for the tourism industry in the next five to ten years. For instance, powered by the artificial intelligence, smart recommendations for tourism sites and route planning will allow people of different background and ages to receive recommendations for travel based on their own interest. Mr. Lv said sports will play a more important role in promoting the development of the tourism industry. He takes marathon as an example. A round 1,500 marathon races were held in China in 2018, attracting more than 5 million people to attend. In Zhuhai, about 60-70 percent of participants of races held by Huafa Sports are not from the local area. He hopes his company will have the chance to hold a marathon race on the Hong Kong Zhuhai Macao Bridge. About China Daily Founded in 1981, China Daily covers 200 million readers and users worldwide through diversified platforms, including newspapers, websites, and mobiles and social media. The number of China Daily’s followers had now reached 46.5 million on Weibo, 5.8 million on the WeChat Blog platform, and another 80 million on Facebook. About China Daily Asia Leadership Roundtable The China Daily Asia Leadership Roundtable is a by invitation network of movers and shakers in Asia providing platforms for focused dialogue, issue investigation, and possible collective action on strategic issues relating to economic, business and social development in Asia. Our aim is to enhance communication and increase mutual understanding between China, Asian and Western countries. Roundtable events are held in major cities across Asia.
2019-10-15Riding high on the goals and undertakings of the high-profile Belt and Road Initiative and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area mega plan, Macao, with the “one country, two system” principle as its major advantage, is sparing no effort to consolidate its position as a tourist magnet. The city underscored this vision when the eighth session of the Global Tourism Economy Forum (GTEF) kicked off in Macao on Monday. Hosted by Macao’s Secretariat for Social Affairs and Culture, the two-day event is promoting international dialogue with the theme “Tourism and Leisure: Roadmap to a Beautiful Life” — a proactive response to “the China Dream” as outlined by President Xi Jinping, who stressed: “People’s yearning for a good and beautiful life is the goal for us to strive for.” This year, the event takes on a new significance as Macao celebrates its 20th anniversary of its return to the motherland. In his welcoming address, former Macao chief executive Edmund Ho Hau-wah, who is now vice-chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference and chairman of the GTEF, said the event stands as a “once-in-a-lifetime chance” for Macao to be identified as one of the four core cities and core engines for driving development in the region, together with its counterparts Hong Kong, Shenzhen and Guangzhou, in the Greater Bay Area Outline Development Plan, which the State Council released in February. The principle of “one country, two systems” offers Macao, where East meets West, the best of both worlds. The principle enables the city to keep its way of life and freedom while tapping the opportunities and benefits arising from reuniting with the Chinese mainland, Macao Chief Executive Fernando Chui Sai-on said. “For years, tourism has long been the pillar of Macao’s economy,” Chui said. Since the establishment of the Macao SAR government in 1999, the tourism industry has been on a tear in the territory. Visitor arrivals to Macao have quadrupled, and the number of hotel rooms has tripled, he said. Zurab Pololikashvili, who is in the second year of a four-year term as secretary-general of the World Tourism Organization, stressed the forum charts its course of making Macao “the next Davos” for visitors — a step closer to the promise made at last year’s event. This year, Argentina and Brazil are featured as the partnered countries of the event. Argentine Tourism Minister Gustavo Santos, who traveled thousands of kilometers from the other side of the world to Macao, said he believes tourism could go beyond the geographical distance and connect countries and regions together. “Argentina, Brazil and China are closer than ever before, as the three great nations share the same rhythm,” he said. Zhang Xu, vice-minister of culture and tourism, also lauded the continued potential of tourism in Macao. “As the growing rhetoric and mentality of protectionism today cast a shadow over the globe, the tourism industry, with its inherent spirit of openness and collaboration, has what it takes to be one of the most prominent growth engines for the global economy. It is high time for Macao to make a difference,” he said. The forum is billed as one of the leading annual events in the global tourism calendar and the single most representative non-governmental tourism platform in China. Since its inception in 2012, it has attracted more than 10,783 participants from 89 countries and regions, including delegations from 147 provinces and cities from the Chinese mainland, and invited 570 of the world’s most influential business leaders, decision-makers and academics to share their insights. In conjunction with this year’s GTEF, China Daily will host a panel discussion for the eighth consecutive year. The event will bring together distinguished academics, policymakers and industry heavyweights to share their insights on how a globally competitive cluster of metropolises in the making under the grand plan of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area could be turned into a world-class tourism destination and bring dramatic changes to the regional tourism market. The dialogue, titled “Greater Bay Area Tourism Development: An Integrated Approach for Well-Being”, will be held today in Macao.
2019-10-15新闻稿 即时发布 中国日报10月15日澳门电 今日中国日报第八度携手“世界旅游经济论坛”在澳门合办题为“粤港澳大湾区旅游发展:综合建设美好生活”的专题研讨会,吸引逾300名来自政商学界的高端人士参会。 澳门特别行政区政府旅游局局长文绮华出席活动并发表主旨演讲。文绮华强调,智慧旅游是将澳门发展成为智慧城市的一个切入点。澳门特区政府旅游局与阿里巴巴集团在2017年8月签署构建智慧城市战略合作框架协议,并于2019 合力开发三个资讯科技项目,包括旅游资讯交换平台、旅客洞察应用和智慧客流应用。她期望透过智慧旅游的软件,加强旅客的游览体验,并利用资讯技术对不同群体宣传不同主题的澳门旅游产品,进行精准营销。 南光(集团)有限公司董事、澳门中国旅行社股份有限公司董事长方立群指出,随着游客的需求发生巨大变化,自由行的人数显着上升,想要发展优质旅游,旅游业需要更好地服务旅客,提供符合旅客需求的产品。 香港中文大学计算机科学与工程学系终身教授、腾讯优图X-Lab 杰出科学家及实验室负责人贾佳亚说,随着各个行业的科技水平都在不断提高,科技在未来5至10年会对旅游有巨大推动作用。例如智能推荐和智能路线规划的功能,可以通过判断个人的兴趣爱好,来为不同群体、不同年龄层的游客推荐相应的景点,实现千人千面的旅游新方式。 华发体育运营管理有限公司执行董事兼总经理吕品德表示,他相信未来体育产品对旅游的拉动作用会越来越大,希望有机会在港珠澳大桥上举办马拉松比赛。他以马拉松赛事为例,2018年中国约举办1500场马拉松比赛,吸引超过500万人参与,而华发体育在珠海举办的马拉松比赛中,约有60%至70%的参与人士来自外地。 关于中国日报 中国日报是中国国家英文日报,创刊于1981年,拥有报纸、网站、移动客户端、脸谱、推特、微博、微信、电子报等十余种媒介平台,全媒体用户总数超过2亿。截至2019年9月,中国日报微博粉丝数超过4650万;微信订阅人数640万,客户端全球下载用户超过2200万,是我国唯一下载量过千万的英文新闻客户端;脸谱账号粉丝数超过8000万,位居全球媒体账号粉丝数第二位;推特账号粉丝数430万。 关于中国日报亚洲领袖圆桌论坛 亚洲领袖圆桌论坛(www.cdroundtable.com),旨在搭建一个由亚洲国家和地区的政、商、学界领袖和社会精英参与的高端对话和交流平台,围绕亚洲地区经济、商业、产业和社会发展等具有战略影响的重要议题展开讨论和分享见解,以增进中国与亚洲和西方国家的交流和理解。
2019-10-15MACAO – As tourism continues to be a major economic contributor around the world, the industry not only helps create jobs but also helps build a better humanity, a leading global tourism platform has heard. The tourism industry has become an important contributor to meet people’s demand for a better life in China, Zhang Xu, vice-minister of China’s Ministry of Culture and Tourism, said at the second day of the Global Tourism Economy Forum, in Macao on Monday. In the face of global uncertainties, tourism helps promote connectivity in policy, infrastructure, trade, finance and people, said Zhang. Also speaking at the opening ceremony, Gustavo Santos, Argentina's Minister of Tourism, said, “Tourism gives tourists the chance to meet people who are different from them, learn from each other, and understand each other." Also speaking at the opening ceremony, Gustavo Santos, Argentina's Minister of Tourism, said, “Tourism gives tourists the chance to meet people who are different from them, learn from each other, and understand each other."
2019-10-14新闻稿 即时发布 “促进创新与可持续发展,共创大湾区新机遇” 2019粤港澳大湾区论坛在港举行 中国日报香港10月10日电 由中国日报与丝绸之路经济发展研究中心合办的题为“促进创新与可持续发展,共创大湾区新机遇”的粤港澳大湾区论坛10月10日在香港举行,近300名来自政商学界的高端人士参会,其中包括近30位外国驻港领事。 全国政协副主席梁振英出席论坛并发表主旨演讲。他认为,在基本法的框架内推动政策创新,将为整个大湾区的协同驱动和共同繁荣提供主要的发展动力。 梁振英表示,政策创新是粤港澳大湾区的关键,这需要用政治决心来完成,虽然过程艰苦,但可以带来丰厚的回报。他提出五项政策创新点的思路,包括:充分发挥港珠澳大桥的潜力,设立新政策使所有香港私家车辆可经此桥前往广东,并设定配额申请制避免交通堵塞;配合港珠澳大桥的放开,给予已成为香港永久居民的外国人可凭香港永久居民身份证或大湾区特别通行证前往其他湾区城市的便利,尤其是方便就读于广东省内国际学校住宿生的父母;向香港居民开放粤港澳大湾区所有城市的住房市场,提高港人居住在内地的数量、提升港人对广东的认识和对内地的亲近感;进一步开放专业服务市场;放宽对合格科学家在落马洲河套地区工作的入境限制等。 首场专题研讨会由香港大学专业进修学院董事局主席陈坤耀主持,四位演讲嘉宾围绕“大湾区跨界商业合作”展开讨论。 华润集团董事长傅育宁因公务未能出席讨论会,代表他出席的华润集团战略管理部高级副总监余忠良在研讨会上表示,他一向看好大湾区的发展。他说,华润集团积极布局湾区多业务平台,有大消费、大健康、城市建设与运营、能源服务、科技与金融等五大产业,目前华润集团在粤港澳大湾区的投资回报远远超于其他地区。 粤港澳大湾区研究院院长申明浩说,1978年中国的改革开放源于跨界跨境的合作,而如今粤港澳大湾区的横空出世开启了改革开放新时代的篇章,新时代将会聚焦高质量的发展。湾区的高质量发展为中国未来发展赋予了新的动能。科技的创新和运用,中国内需的扩大,新商业模式的规模化推广,“一带一路”战略的支持以及一体化生活圈概念发展,为跨界跨境发资源整合提供了全新的动能。 英国地产发展商欧域资本行政总裁潘永生说,他看到了粤港澳大湾区无限的发展潜力,大湾区内的各个城市各有特色,有着跨境合作的天然内在需求。 香港律师会“一带一路”委员会及粤港澳大湾区工作小组主席苏绍聪表示,他希望香港的法律服务行业更好地拥抱创新的科学技术,通过加强与深圳的合作,帮助香港传统法律行业在科技时代焕发新的生机。 第二场专题研讨会以“智能医疗的演化:技术与互联资料”为主题,由香港中文大学医院执行董事及行政总裁冯康主持,演讲嘉宾围绕大数据分析的相关智能医疗发展,及其为本行业及周边行业所带来的机遇进行讨论。 在区域医疗合作方面,香港大学一直是开拓实践的排头兵。早在2012年就涉足内地医疗系统,并引进香港模式培训内地医生。并于2015年设立香港大学深圳医院,是内地公立医院的改革试点。院长卢宠茂指出,香港大学深圳医院建立了内地和香港医疗体系的混合体系。香港医疗体系的优势在于它的国际化和标准化,而内地的优势在于巨大的数量和高效率。同时,内地具有创业的因素,并且是市场驱动的。在某种程度上,把两种系统的优点结合起来,将会成为最好的范本。 相达生物科技创办人及行政总裁招彦焘认为,粤港澳大湾区的发展弥补了香港的许多不足,香港地生物医疗科技企业可以进一步拓展大湾区市场,将视野放至整个大湾区。 前医院管理局财务总管及总监(财务及信息科技服务)谢秀玲指出,医疗保健业可以与金融科技公司合作,更高效、更具有成本效益地提供医疗保健服务。 东英/碳云大健康投资与商务委员会主席张高波认为中国庞大的人口数量、先进的移动互联网水平和有力的政策,为推动医疗保健数据化提供了良好基础。为此他做了大胆的预想:往后10年,世界上最伟大的公司一定会出在医疗保健领域,而这个公司有极大可能会出现在中国。 此外,论坛还专设主题为“深圳先行示范区:香港的机遇与挑战”的专题对话环节,深圳市前海管理局香港事务首席联络官洪为民和中国(深圳)综合开发研究院常务副院长郭万达一同分析深圳先行示范区的建设将为香港带来的机遇与挑战。 关于中国日报 中国日报是中国国家英文日报,创刊于1981年,拥有报纸、网站、移动客户端、脸谱、推特、微博、微信、电子报等十余种媒介平台,全媒体用户总数超过2亿。截至2019年9月,中国日报微博粉丝数超过4650万;微信订阅人数640万,客户端全球下载用户超过2200万,是我国唯一下载量过千万的英文新闻客户端;脸谱账号粉丝数超过8000万,位居全球媒体账号粉丝数第二位;推特账号粉丝数430万。 关于亚洲领袖圆桌论坛 中国日报亚洲领袖圆桌论坛(www.cdroundtable.com),旨在搭建一个由亚洲国家和地区的政、商、学界领袖和社会精英参与的高端对话和交流平台,围绕亚洲地区经济、商业、产业和社会发展等具有战略影响的重要议题展开讨论和分享见解,以增进中国与亚洲和西方国家的交流和理解。
2019-10-10For Immediate Release PRESS RELEASE Greater Bay Area Conference: Inclusive Growth through Innovation and Sustainability Oct 10, 2019, Hong Kong: Co-organized by China Daily and the Silk Road Economic Development Research Center, the 5th Greater Bay Area Conference, previously known as Belt and Road Conference, was held in Hong Kong on Thursday, Oct 10, 2019. The conference attracted nearly 300 political and business leaders, including nearly 30 Consulate Generals. Mr. C Y LEUNG, GBM, GBS, JP, Vice-Chairman, the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, delivered the keynote address in the conference. He said that there is a need for policy innovation to lower or remove the barriers between the two Systems and three customs jurisdictions that coexist in the Bay Area. Mr. Leung highlighted that government policy innovation is vital to the development of the Bay Area. He suggested five new government policy innovations in the speech, including using the Hong Kong Macau Bridge to its fullest potential, letting Hong Kong permanent residents who are not Chinese nationals to go the Bay Area cities in Guangdong without having to apply for a visa, opening up the housing markets in all the Guangdong Bay Area cities to Hong Kong residents, further opening up the professional services market and relaxing entry restrictions for qualified scientists to work in the Lok Ma Chau Loop. The first panel discussion themed “Cross-sector Business Collaboration in the Greater Bay Area”, was chaired by Prof. CHEN Kwan Yiu Edward, GBS, CBE, JP, Chairman, HKU School of Professional and Continuing Education. Four guest speakers examined how various sectors can work together to reap opportunities in the Greater Bay Area. Mr. Max YU, Senior Deputy Chief Strategy Officer, Strategy Management Department of China Resources (Holdings) Co, Ltd ,said that he always has confidence in the development of Greater Bay Area. He said China Resources Group is taking initiative in developing business in the Greater Bay Area including FinTech, medical services, consumer products, urban construction and energy service etc. He mentioned that the return on investment of China Resources Group in Greater Bay Area is far more than that in other regions. Prof. SHEN Minghao, Dean, Great Bay Area Institute (Guangdong, Hongkong, Macau), said that the Greater Bay Area marks the new chapter of Reform and Opening. The high-quality development of the Greater Bay Area is a new motivation for the future development of China. He thinks that the cities within the Greater Bay Area have different characteristics. There is a natural internal need for trans-regional cooperation. Dr. Thomas S. T. SO, Chairman of Belt and Road Committee and Greater Bay Area Working Group, the Law Society of Hong Kong, said he hopes the law service industry in Hong Kong can embrace the advanced technology. He thinks that the traditional law industry in Hong Kong can have new development in the era of advanced technology through strengthening cooperation with Shenzhen. The second panel discussion themed “Evolution of Smart Healthcare: Technology & Connected Data”, was chaired by Prof. Hong FUNG, JP, Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer, CUHK Medical Centre. Guest speakers had in-depth discussions about the evolution of smart healthcare, including big data analysis, and the opportunities it opens up across the sector and other peripheral industries. In the aspect of trans-regional medical cooperation, the University of Hong Kong has always been the pioneer. Since 2015, Faculty of Medicine of the University of Hong Kong has collaborated with the Shenzhen Municipal Government to operate the HKU-Shenzhen Hospital, which marked the reform of the public hospitals in the mainland. Prof. Chung-Mau LO, Hospital Chief Executive, the University of Hong Kong-Shenzhen Hospital, said that HKU-Shenzhen Hospital is the combination of the medical systems applied in the mainland and Hong Kong. He said that the medical system of Hong Kong has advantages in professionalism and internationalism while the medical system of the mainland has comparative advantages in its quantities and efficiency. He thinks that combining the advantages of these two medical systems will become the best sample of medical system in certain extent. Dr. Ricky Yin-To CHIU, Founder & CEO, PHASE Scientific, said that the development of Greater Bay Area Conference can compensate the insufficiency of Hong Kong. He thinks that the Bio-Meditech enterprises in Hong Kong can further develop the market of Greater Bay Area. Ms. Nancy Sau Ling Tse, JP, Former Chief Financial Officer and Director (Finance and Information Technology Services), said that if enterprises that provide medical care can cooperate with FinTech enterprises, a more efficient and cost-effective medical care services can be provided. Mr. Gary ZHANG, Chairman, Oriental Patron / iCarbonX Health Care Investment and Business Committee, said that the high population, advanced mobile Internet and powerful policy of China provides a good foundation for pushing forward the digitization of medical care data. He makes a bold prediction that the most successful company in the world in ten years’ time will appear in the field of medical care and that company may appear in China possibly. In the lunch dialogue, themed "Shenzhen as a Pilot Demonstration Area: Opportunities and Challenges for Hong Kong", Prof. Witman HUNG, JP, Principal Liaison Officer for Hong Kong, Shenzhen Qianhai Authority and Dr. GUO Wanda, Executive Vice-President, the China Development Institute exchanged views on Hong Kong’s opportunities and challenges in turning Shenzhen into a pilot demonstration area. About China Daily Founded in 1981, China Daily covers 200 million readers and users worldwide through diversified platforms, including newspapers, websites, and mobiles and social media. The number of China Daily’s followers had now reached 46.5 million on Weibo, 5.8 million on the WeChat Blog platform, and another 80 million on Facebook. About China Daily Asia Leadership Roundtable The China Daily Asia Leadership Roundtable is a by invitation network of movers and shakers in Asia providing platforms for focused dialogue, issue investigation, and possible collective action on strategic issues relating to economic, business and social development in Asia. Our aim is to enhance communication and increase mutual understanding between China, Asian and Western countries. Roundtable events are held in major cities across Asia.
2019-10-10Major Hong Kong developer New World Development Co Ltd is promoting the Silicon Valley culture in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, nurturing small and innovative enterprises by providing opportunities for them to participate in the cultural, innovative and architectural projects in the region. “NWD’s concept is to incubate local small enterprises with innovative ideas and designs to provide them a platform to grow. And we want to replicate it in the Bay Area and other cities on the Chinese mainland,” said Jeff Tung Jing-kong, senior project director at the Project Management Department of New World Development. During the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Outstanding Cultural and Creative Industries Awards Ceremony on Friday, co-organized by China Daily and the Hang Seng University of Hong Kong, Tung said that Hong Kong architects are closely engaged on the Chinese mainland building industry with their extensive international exposure and experience, and are acquainted with new designs and new technologies. Meanwhile, the opportunities arising in the Bay Area could provide more opportunities for cooperation and achievement among the region. “The industry is evolving at a fast pace, and Hong Kong architects have to prepare to enrich themselves with new knowledge and technologies as the new generation in architecture on the Chinese mainland is fueled with full potential,” Tung said. Featuring the revitalization of Tsim Sha Tsui in the 1980s and 1990s, Victoria Dockside was developed by New World Development, which brought together more than 100 designers and architects to make waves with a ripple of exciting theatrical, art and cultural happenings at the city’s historic heart, Victoria Harbour. As the heart of Victoria Dockside, the newly opened cultural-retail destination K11 Musea connects and guides visitors among landmarks in the district as well as to the waterfront. To revive romantic ambience with Victoria Harbour as a backdrop, the Avenue of Stars and Salisbury Garden adopted a simple but people-oriented design, as well as environmental protection measures, Tung said. After the renovation, the Avenue of Stars got eight times more greenery, seven times more shading, and twice the seating capacity as before. The seating set up at the waterfront was designed with ideas to better serve the people. In addition, the group strives to apply innovative products for sustainable development in projects. For example, the low-energy consumption LED lighting design provides lighting, a power supply, a mobile signal and loudspeakers at the Avenue of Stars. A wave energy demonstrator has been introduced there to raise public awareness on renewable energy, Tung said. Together with landscape architect James Corner and his team, NWD opened up the space of Salisbury Garden and included an expansive, welcoming lawn in the center with doubled exhibition space which bring visitors closer to the waterfront and offer alternate views and experiences walking along the Avenue. Through the completion of Victoria Dockside, “we are connecting withVictoria Harbour to the people”, Tung said.
2019-09-06