Hong Kong should aim higher in its bid to become a technological hub so as to grasp the opportunities in technological innovation created by the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, former secretary for financial services and the treasury Ceajer Chan Ka-keung has urged. In so doing, he expected the SAR to be more than a capital market. Chan noted that, for a long time, Hong Kong merely wanted to be a financial center, but if the city looks at the Bay Area as an opportunity, greater focus should be laid on building up local technological companies or even unicorns — startups valued at above US$1 billion — as technological innovation is a major push in the Bay Area. “With top-notch universities in the city and their strong research ability, especially in biology and medicine, we need to make greater use of these resources and establish our own leadership in some of those areas,” he said. The former minister, who left the SAR government last year, was invited back to the business school at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology as an adjunct professor. He had been with the university for more than a decade before joining the SAR government. Chan noted that local universities are unable to play their roles well in the innovation sector due to their lack of research talents. At the University of Hong Kong, for instance, it had 11,935 postgraduate students and 7,786 academic staff as of November last year, according to the institution’s management information unit of the president office. Compared to Peking University in Beijing, the number of HKU’s academic staff wasn’t far less, but its number of postgraduate students was only about half that of Peking University. In view of the talent shortage, Chan suggested that universities in Hong Kong raise their quotas for postgraduate students in areas like artificial intelligence and medicine. “If Hong Kong were to advance in technology and innovation, more talents and researchers are needed. If we cannot find enough higher-educated talents in the city, why not take them from the Chinese mainland, India, South Korea or elsewhere,” he suggested. He believed it would be worthwhile as these students should have already completed their four-year undergraduate courses and come to Hong Kong for advanced studies with their rich knowledge and experience. As for the development plan for the Bay Area, although the nuts and bolts of the project have yet to be unveiled, Chan expected to see the general blueprint and directions for the area. The development plan seems ready to be rolled out soon, with both the mega Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge and the Hong Kong section of the Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link now in service. But, Chan said it would be better to unveil a visionary picture than detailed measures for the time being. “There’s no need for too many details as this would invite some constraints,” he added. “These particular measures could emerge part by part as it would take time to formulate and refine them along the way.” Chan would not speculate on when a final announcement would be made or the reason for the delay.

Experts at Belt and Road Conference review key strategies in developing the Bay Area, vis-a-vis the BRI, convinced there’re rich rewards to be reaped. Two of China’s biggest initiatives — the Belt and Road and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area — could support each other as development progresses. The view was espoused by prominent business leaders and professionals during panel discussions held in conjunction with the Belt and Road Conference 2018, co-organized by China Daily and the Silk Road Economic Development Research Center, in Hong Kong on Monday. The conference — the fourth held so far on the Belt and Road Initiative — included three panel discussions and a number of keynote addresses on the theme “Tapping Belt and Road Opportunities in the Greater Bay Area”. The first panel dialogue, themed “Exploring Innovation and Technology Intra-Regional Cooperation in the Greater Bay Area”, was chaired by Ceajer Chan Ka-keung, adjunct professor of finance at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology and former secretary for financial services and the treasury of the HKSAR. He kicked off the discussions by encapsulating the importance of the Bay Area as an “important supply chain to the world”, saying there’s “no other place like it”. Other panelists backed Chan’s assessment, with a consensus that the Bay Area’s unique position has given rise to special opportunities and challenges. George He, senior vice-president at Lenovo and president of the Lenovo Capital and Incubator Group, touched on Hong Kong’s role in the Bay Area. “The Bay Area is a great opportunity for Hong Kong to be a great connector for startups. It has a role in developing high tech and robotics from Chinese startups and helping them expand overseas,” he said. Great opportunities ahead He said the SAR’s strengths in the field of research and development are not to be underestimated as well. “There’re a lot of great opportunities at Hong Kong universities. They have great technology, professors and students,” he said. Besides innovation-based industries, traditional businesses could benefit from the initiatives too. Arnold Cheng, director of Hong Kong and Pearl River Delta for John Swire and Sons (China), said he’s still excited over the Bay Area development despite his dealings with the more traditional business areas. “All these developments are opportunities for us. The home market (in Hong Kong) will expand from 7 million to 68 million. And, with the key infrastructures in place, one can now easily go from Shenzhen’s Futian district to Hong Kong airport in about an hour,” he said. The sudden boom and connectivity means a fast growing market for all, said Cheng, convinced that his company’s beverage-and-property development businesses will stand to benefit. “Besides an enlarged home market, it also means there’ll be more people resources to grow our businesses.” However, there’s still much work to be done, Cheng noted, with three main areas of development in store — integrating the Bay Area into a single market; enhancing its competitiveness by increased collaboration among member cities in the Bay Area; and ensuring the free flow of people, information, capital and goods within it. Not only would such a scenario benefit the region itself, it could build up the expertise to support countries along the BRI route. Doris Luey, head of social innovation for New World Development, pointed out that the shared tech innovations within the Bay Area could help boost industries. “Technology brings a lot of disruption. We’re facing the fourth industrial revolution, and the Bay Area could be an opportunity to transform these traditional businesses,” he said. E Zhihuan, chief economist at Bank of China (Hong Kong), reckons that financial technology, in particular, could find a great playground in the area. “Artificial intelligence development can experience a growth spurt and enter the disruptive phase in the fintech of the Bay Area,” she said. Luey, however, pointed out that the different policies of the three jurisdictions in the Bay Area might need to be sorted out. “Mobile payment is a powerful tool. In the Bay Area, we have different policies and compliance terms concerning it. How do we work through the different privacy ordinances and integrate the systems?” she asked. The subject of regulatory differences also came up during the discussions. “The Bay Area is different from other world bay areas because of the ‘one country, two systems’ policy in Hong Kong and Macao. It allows us to be more dynamic and to conduct experiments before exporting to the external market. Thus, it should not be measured by the same metrics as other bay areas in the world,” said Chan. He also referred to the results of a survey conducted by consulting firm KPMG on the Bay Area. “The key benefits of the Bay Area would be the free flow of talent, greater regional ties, and better market penetration. But, to deal with the challenges facing it, policy barriers and government foresight in planning capabilities were highlighted,” said Chan. A place for new ideas Also, there might be a clash arising from the difference in government attitudes toward their own economies. “The difference between the mainland and here (Hong Kong) includes market-driven and planned economies. Each system is based on its beliefs in the market. We should see the Bay Area as a place to try out new ideas and compromise to make effective policies to promote global economy,” said Wong Kam-fai, associate dean of external affairs at the Chinese University of Hong Kong’s Faculty of Engineering. Cheng agreed that integration could be a tough process. “The governments have been working hard to address many of these integration issues. What’s left is tough, and is not likely to be worked through in a month or even a year. But, they’re working toward it,” he said. Cheng suggested that two areas should be looked at. “The Bay Area can be a tourism destination. It can make for a one-journey, multiple-destination spot. However, most tourists get a single entry visa for the mainland. It would be hard for them to move from say, Shenzhen to Hong Kong to Zhuhai because of it,” he noted, adding that being a tourism hotspot could promote the Bay Area to those who are unaware of it. Besides tourism, another area would the development of a circular economy in the region. Chen Guanghan, associate dean and chief expert at the Institute of Guangdong Hong Kong and Macao Development Studies of Sun Yat-sen University, thinks that a better-integrated Bay Area could lead to more innovations. “Innovation is a key ingredient for the region’s success. We can, and should, integrate our resources in knowledge transference,” he urged. “If we can replicate Hong Kong’s success as a financial center, we should do it for the Bay Area to be known as a center of innovation for the Belt and Road countries and the rest of the world,” he added. Nonetheless, all the panelists were on the same page that there’re rich rewards to be reaped from the Bay Area development, especially in relation to the BRI. “Despite the challenges, there are tremendous opportunities to be found in the Bay Area as an external-looking area that will power a nation going forward,” Chan concluded.

HONG KONG - The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government is working closely and proactively with relevant central government departments in taking forward new policies to unleash the innovation and technological potential for inter-regional cooperation in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. Speaking at the forum Belt and Road Conference: Tapping Belt and Road Opportunities in the Greater Bay Area organized by China Daily and the Silk Road Economic Development Research Center, Chief Secretary for Administration Matthew Cheung Kin-chung said “the aim is to develop the Bay Area into the Silicon Valley of China.” “Leveraging on our advantage in scientific research, internationalization, our robust legal system, rule of law and our status as an international financial, business and logistics center, Hong Kong is in an excellent position to contribute to the national strategy of innovation-driven development, namely building the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area into an international innovation and technology hub,” Cheung said in his keynote address. The Bay Area, comprising the nation’s two special administrative regions and nine mainland cities in the Pearl River Delta region, boasts a population of nearly 68 million and a gross domestic product of nearly US$1.4 trillion. It will be a key pillar for the Belt and Road Initiative as the Bay Area will be an innovation and technology hub. “We have gathered to hear how Hong Kong can take full advantage of this increased opportunity,” said Zhou Li, editorial board member of China Daily Group and publisher and editor-in-chief of China Daily Asia Pacific. “We would like to be able to visualize the roadmap that must follow to play a pivotal role in the process of China’s reaching out to the world.” Cheung said the government is committed to fostering innovation and technology development in eight areas, namely increasing resources for research and development, pulling the resources together, providing investment funding, providing technological research infrastructure, renewing exiting legislation/regulation, opening up government data, changes in government’s procurement policy, and strengthening popular science education. Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor, in her October Policy Address, announced the government will allocate HK$28 billion to expedite reindustrialization, promote research and development in universities, revamp e-government services and encourage innovation in society. The amount is in addition to the HK$50 billion announced by Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po in February to support key technology areas such as biotechnology, artificial intelligence, smart city and financial technology. The Hong Kong Shenzhen Innovation and Technology Park in Lok Ma Chau Loop, when completed, will be the largest technology business park in Hong Kong with an area of 87 hectares and is expected to boost the area's global position in technology and provide an incubator for technology startups. The administration has earmarked HK$20 billion for the first-phase development. Besides infrastructure, Cheung reckoned that talent is also an essential piece of the jigsaw puzzle of innovation and technology development. The government has launched the three-year pilot Technology Talent Admission Scheme which provides a fast-track arrangement for eligible technology companies and institutes to admit overseas and mainland technology talent to undertake research and development work in biotechnology, AI, cyber security and robotics. “The Belt and Road Initiative has made a tremendous impact on all participating countries, not just transforming the economies along the BRI, but it also contributed a shift in the lifestyle of many countries,” said Joseph Chan Nap-kee, chairman at Silk Road Economic Development Research Center. “With more influence of more infrastructure projects, we are thrilled for even more progressive changes of BRI.”

Innovation and technology is seen as a key development area for the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, while Hong Kong will continue to play its vital role as the “super connector” in various sectors, experts in different fields said on Monday. They made the call in a panel discussion themed “Exploring Innovation and Technology Intra-Regional Cooperation in the Greater Bay Area” at the China Daily Belt and Road Conference in Hong Kong. Not many city clusters in the world have the economic power that the Greater Bay Area has, former Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury Ceajer Chan Ka-keung noted. He said three important cities in the area – Hong Kong, Shenzhen and Guangzhou – make it an important supply chain, providing goods and services to the rest of the world. And Hong Kong is connecting the area to the world. Lenovo Senior Vice President and Lenovo Capital and Incubator Group President George He recommended that Hong Kong attract more global high-tech companies to establish headquarters in the city. Arnold Cheng, director of Hong Kong & Pearl River Delta at John Swire & Sons (China) Limited, said three factors should be eyed when developing innovation. One is to integrate the whole Greater Bay Area into a single market, second is to enhance the region’s competitiveness by more collaboration among cities, and third is to serve the national development and also the Belt and Road countries. He believed companies like Swire Group could benefit from the area as it allows them to have better exposure to the region’s frontier technology and innovation. E Zhihuan, chief economist at Bank of China Hong Kong, agreed that the future development of the area will not only create shining opportunities, but challenges for related parties. She introduced a formula of opportunities throughout the Greater Bay Area, saying “nine cities in Guangdong province plus Hong Kong and Macao equals manufacturing center plus technological innovation center plus financial service hub plus leisure and entertainment”. Based on this diversified pattern, the region calls for more advanced financial infrastructure, a more mature financial regulation and industry rulemaking system, and more application of disruptive technologies into economic growth, she said. Chen Guanghan, a professor at Guangzhou-based Sun Yat-sen University, urged more Hong Kong finance capital into the region rather than overseas. In addition, young-leader incubation is also a focus. Doris Luey Si-si, head of social innovation at Hong Kong-based New World Development Company, said the company has hosted a summer camp for secondary students in the area, helping them broaden horizons and encouraging them to create, as they are the future of the area. Professional talent foster programs are also being promoted in universities. Wong Kam-fai, associate dean of the engineering faculty at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, said the university has been collaborating with the Chinese Academy of Sciences for more than 10 years. They established an institute in Shenzhen first and then set up an on-campus joint laboratory in Hong Kong. He spoke highly of this kind of academic cooperation as it serves as the cradle for innovation and talent for the Greater Bay Area.

China’s key national initiatives, including the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and the Belt and Road Initiative, are shifting to a more hard-headed stance amid slower economic growth projections and lower market confidence, exacerbated by the ongoing US-China trade stand-off and expectations of further interest-rate hikes, according to a prominent economist. The US Federal Reserve is on course to raise interest rates gradually to allow a steady economy. Coupled with the “unpredictable” trade tensions between the world’s two largest economies, the emerging market has borne the brunt of the currency turmoil, causing the Chinese yuan to hit an almost two-year low this month. Given the pool of market uncertainties, E Zhihuan, chief economist at Bank of China (Hong Kong), said she’s confident about the future development and implementation of the Bay Area and the BRI, like “no weal without woe”. “Market volatility and uncertainty could, however, give us an opportunity to be more pragmatic — doing things one by one, step by step — in terms of tackling different demands from individuals, corporations and others within the region,” E tells China Daily. Amid the opposite and different directions of the monetary policies of China and the United States, the two nations’ interest-rate spread decreased from 150 basis points last year to around 40 basis points this year, which is viewed as an indicator of renminbi depreciation pressure, she explains. However, she believes the yuan’s downside risk is still within government control given China’s steadier economic fundamentals compared with other economies in the emerging market. China will be able to attain its economic growth target of around 6.5 percent for the full year, with steady growth next year despite the downturn pressure, Mao Shengyong, a spokesman of China’s National Bureau of Statistics, said on Oct 19. The Bay Area — a cluster of nine cities in Guangdong province along with the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions — with their respective advantages, turns out to be more significant amid the current world financial situation. Hong Kong, as Asia’s financial hub, is expected to play its unique role in the region’s financial services sector. To better cater to the region’s financial innovation, E points to three directions for financial institutions — cross-boundary finance, “people’s livelihood” finance and innovative finance. “Due to the specialty of the Bay Area — ‘one country, two systems’, three customs areas and different currencies — it calls for a good cross-boundary financial environment,” she explains. “Cross-boundary investment, fundraising and payment services are Hong Kong’s future direction in providing financial services.” Another opportunity will come from the region’s industrial upgrade, the economist predicts. With the aim of building a world-class technological hub, the Bay Area aims to shift away from the traditional growth model in favor of incubating more “technological stars” which, inevitably, will create a great amount of an affluent middle-class and even billionaires. “The gathering of the affluent class may boom in the asset management, wealth management and investing management markets,” says E. With the Bay Area in mind, Bank of China (Hong Kong) has launched financial services in cross-boundary finance, livelihood finance and innovative finance to better serve the “one-hour economic circle” — arriving at every corner of the Bay Area within one hour.

The future growth of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area must pursue a high-quality economic expansion model to be driven by the innovative sector, according to scholars. Compared to other bay areas around the world, like those of San Francisco and Tokyo, the GDP per capita in our Bay Area is lower at the moment, but we enjoy the advantages no other bay area in the world has, reckons Chen Guanghan, associate dean and chief expert at the Institute of Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao Development Studies at Sun Yat-sen University. Speaking to China Daily after a panel discussion at the Belt and Road Conference on Monday, he noted that the economy of San Francisco’s Bay Area is driven by its high-tech and biomedical industries, while that of Tokyo is propelled by high-end manufacturing. China’s Bay Area has a bigger population, a larger economic hinterland and a more complete industry category. “The Bay Area must pursue high-quality economic growth, and I believe this will be driven by innovation,” he said. Chen explained he drew his conclusion from the fact that Hong Kong, Shenzhen and the Pearl River Delta region are complementary to each other. Hong Kong and Shenzhen are already very competitive in terms of innovation, he said, adding that when Hong Kong returned to the motherland in 1997, it announced it aimed to turn itself into an innovation center in the Asia-Pacific region. The proposal did not reach a broad consensus back then. But, in recent years, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government has been attaching greater importance to developing the innovation-and-technology sector. Hong Kong is bankrolling a big effort in research and development by allocating a further HK$28 billion to boost innovation ­— a bold target set by Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor in her second Policy Address on Oct 10 this year. She had vowed to double expenditure on research and development to 1.5 percent over the next five years in her maiden policy address in 2017. At the same time, Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po pledged to dish out a massive HK$50 billion from the budget funding pie to support innovation and technology this financial year. Chen believes that Hong Kong’s world-class universities and international research environment will make the city a perfect place for cultivating talents and conducting fundamental research, while Shenzhen will be great in commercializing the fruits of such research. The traditional advantage of manufacturing in the Pearl River Delta region will then take the products to end-users in China and the rest of the world. Besides, Hong Kong’s status as an international financial hub will allow it to play a vital role in funding and incubating the innovative projects, he said. The Bay Area development will also provide a huge boost to the nation’s Belt and Road Initiative, particularly to the Maritime Silk Road. With Hong Kong as a global financial hub and Shenzhen and Guangzhou as regional financial centers, the Bay Area can be the investment and fundraising focus for BRI projects. The Bay Area has many large ports, as well as seven airports, and the 11-city cluster will be a transportation and arbitration center for BRI projects, according to Chen. “Since the cities in the Bay Area complement each other, they will play a great part in the Belt and Road Initiative,” he added.

Corporate compliance is becoming a new challenge in Chinese companies’ exploration of international markets, and government and enterprises should make joint efforts in that direction, officials and industry insiders said. They made the call at a keynote luncheon during the Belt and Road Conference 2018, co-organized by China Daily and the Silk Road Economic Development Research Center, in Hong Kong on Monday. Competition rules for global enterprises have changed as corporate compliance is being placed in an increasingly important position, said Wang Zhile, vice-president of the China Enterprise Compliance Promotion Alliance. “When Chinese enterprises, especially State-owned enterprises, go global, they’re facing a new way and a new rule of global competition. It’s obvious that Chinese enterprises are facing serious challenges,” he said. “If they could understand and cope with the changes, they could achieve leapfrog development and create new experience of growth for enterprises in developing countries.” Wang cited Zhejiang Geely Holding Group as an example. The Chinese car manufacturer established its own compliance system in 2014, setting up a compliance committee at its headquarters and deploying a chief compliance officer to deal with the issue specifically. In Geely’s acquisition of US flying car startup Terrafugia last year, the US made a thorough examination of the Chinese company’s compliance, and concluded that Geely had fully complied with the rules. “The issue of corporate compliance stands out as enterprises grow bigger,” said Wang Yizhou, general manager of the corporate affairs and compliance management office at China Mobile International. He noted that the mobile communication giant attaches great importance to corporate compliance and has carried out many related measures. Moreover, it had recently created a comprehensive system, providing an office, a committee and an executive dedicated to corporate compliance. “In our industry, it could have drastic influence on the development of enterprises if they failed to control the risk of their operation. So, it’s one of our most significant works,” Wang said. Yan Biao, director of legal affairs at China Resources Group, said the company’s long-term operation in Hong Kong has had a profound effect on the company’s management. The State-owned enterprise, founded in Hong Kong eight decades ago, has a wide range of businesses worldwide, covering consumer products, energy, real estate and finance. In going global, it has encountered some unique regulations in various places, and many of them are new problems that had emerged recently, Yan pointed out. But, he emphasized that enterprises also need to distinguish corporate compliance from pure business negotiation. “Enterprises, as the subject of the market, should learn how to adapt to these changes, and I believe these issues could be solved eventually as we understand more about the rules and communicate more with our partners.” The central government is attaching great importance to the issue of corporate compliance with a growing number of Chinese enterprises going global under the Belt and Road Initiative. President Xi Jinping stressed at a meeting marking the fifth anniversary of the initiative that it’s important to regulate Chinese enterprises’ investments and operation behaviors to ensure that their operations are lawful and compliant. Yang Yi, former deputy director-general of the economic affairs department and former head of the commercial office at the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, highlighted the importance of the government’s role in the process. “When the government formulates policies, it needs to ensure they’re in line with international rules. For example, they have to meet World Trade Organization rules on transparency, subsidy, and so forth,” he said. It is also the government’s duty to strengthen publicity in corporate compliance and help enterprises organize related training, he said. “Government and enterprises should work together to promote compliance,” he said. Wang Zhile noted that Hong Kong could play an “irreplaceable” role in this respect. “Not only is Hong Kong familiar with international rules, it also knows the Chinese mainland’s condition well,” he said. “The city has a regulated management system and a sound legal network. Both the SAR government and enterprises are acting in full compliance. Besides, Hong Kong has a lot of compliance supervision and service institutions. We hope Hong Kong could play its irreplaceable role in promoting the construction of corporate compliance in the Belt and Road Initiative.”

中国日报香港10月29日电 中国日报亚洲领袖圆桌论坛关于“湾区带路：共拓新机遇”的“‘一带一路’论坛”今日在香港举行。 此次论坛由中国日报与丝绸之路经济发展研究中心携手举办，嘉宾围绕“深化粤港澳大湾区区域合作：探索创科潜力”和“当一带在香港遇上一路”和“‘一带一路’企业的合规竞争力”等议题进行热烈讨论。 香港特别行政区政府政务司司长张建宗和上海合作组织秘书长拉希德•阿利莫夫出席并发表主旨演讲，来自中国内地、港澳特区的政、商、学界人士、驻港领事，及企业家逾300名出席。 张建宗司长在主旨演讲中表示，创新科技对中国经济的重要性愈来愈显著。香港良好的制度优势，可以配合中央政策推动粤港澳大湾区的发展。他指出，香港政府计划在落马洲河套区建立港深创新科技园，第一期耗资200亿元，期望以此平台吸引来自全球的科技企业和研究机构。与此同时，香港特首林郑月娥在今年的施政报告中提出将再投入200亿元资金发展创科，未来会在加强科研资源、开放政府数据等8个范畴，推动本港科技发展。 拉希德•阿利莫夫在主旨演讲中表示，上海合作组织已经覆盖从北极地带到印度洋、从太平岛到波罗的海的广阔区域，发展稳定而多元化，不断迸发出新的机遇，对开展商业项目具有极大的吸引力和发展前景。我们希望通过直接的对话模式，促进跨区域建设的合作，并激发出新的合作想法和项目。我们认为香港能够很好地参与到上合组织的各项相关活动中。 随着广深港高铁和港珠澳大桥的正式开通，粤港澳大湾区建设不断加速，为“一带一路”建设起到重要的支撑作用。发达的交通网络将进一步强化大湾区区内城市的联系，显著提高经济效益和发展潜力。 首场研讨会以“深化粤港澳大湾区区域合作：探索创科潜力”为主题，研讨会主持人香港科技大学工商管理学院兼任教授及香港特别行政区政府财经事务及库务局前局长陈家强在会上提到，粤港澳大湾区具有的经济能力是世界上很多经济城市群所没有的。香港、深圳和广州这三个城市，使大湾区成为向世界其他地区提供物资和服务的供应商。而香港在其中的角色，则是连接大湾区和世界。 中山大学粤港澳发展研究院首席专家、副院长陈广汉表示，当我们回顾大湾区过去的发展，它经历了要素驱动和投资驱动的发展时期，今后它将进入创新驱动时期。香港具备极强的整合全球创新元素和全球科技资源的能力，且近几年香港越发重视创新领域，我相信香港在大湾区未来的创新驱动时期中还是会扮演非常重要的角色。 太古（中国）有限公司董事（香港及珠三角地区）郑家驹表示，当我们看粤港澳大湾区的机遇时，会发现三个主要的发展方向。其一，进一步整合湾区内部资源，并将其发展成一个市场主体。其二，加强湾区内部城市合作，使之能够拥有与世界知名湾区相比较的国际竞争力。其三，将湾区建设成为服务中国大陆与“一带一路”沿线国家的重要枢纽。 中国银行（香港）有限公司首席经济学家鄂志寰说，粤港澳大湾区在未来十年，将会新增一万亿美元的GDP，这将给大家带来巨大的机遇。为了更好的抓住这一机遇，我们应经历三个步骤，其一，进一步完善整个湾区的科技金融基础设施；其二，在金融监管和相关行业规则制定方面有新的探索；其三，面向未来，搭建新的金融创新平台。 联想集团高级副总裁兼联想创投集团总裁贺志强认为，香港作为国际重要枢纽，将会成为高新科技企业走向国际的纽带。通常情况下，中国大陆的初创企业往往享受着其巨大的市场，他们在中国创立，成长并且提供产品和服务。就连中国互联网三大巨头百度，阿里巴巴和腾讯，在走向国际的道路中也曾遭遇阻碍。所以，当我看到这些大陆企业获得巨大成就时，我也看到了香港初创企业未来的无限潜力。 新世界发展有限公司社会创新主管吕施施说，通过新世界集团与腾讯联合主办的粤港澳湾区青年营，我们从参与的200多名中学生中了解到，他们对大湾区的概念有一定认识，但希望更了解其中的一些细节。所以我们可能可以设置一些渠道，告诉这些未来人才，他们能够从大湾区的发展中收获什么，有哪些湾区项目他们能够参与。 香港中文大学工程学院副院长（外务）黄锦辉提到，香港中文大学与内地科研机构长期进行各种合作。比如，15年前与中国科学院在深圳成立研究院，几年后又在港中大校园内设立中大—中科院联合实验室。这类合作适用于所有大学，可以说是粤港澳大湾区创科事业与人才的摇篮。 香港拥有“一国两制”独特优势，背靠祖国，面向世界。在国家“一带一路”倡议及粤港澳大湾区发展建设的政策下，香港将积极把握发展契机，进一步发挥促成者和推广者的角色。第二场研讨会以“当一带在香港遇上一路”为主题，海上丝绸之路协会联席主席叶刘淑仪、五位驻港领事和一位香港学生发表演讲。 叶刘淑仪在研讨会上表示，香港在海洋方面有很大优势。一直以来，香港一直依赖海洋经济和贸易蓬勃发展，我们也有很多的华人家庭与东南亚国家相联系。所以香港在与“一带一路”国家之间的商业合作方面处于有利地位，这不仅仅局限于加强商业联系，而且会更紧密地连接区域间的民心。我们需要更多地去教育年轻一代，让他们了解“一带一路”的重要性。我期望看到香港能发挥更重要的作用，不论是发达国家还是欠发达国家，将他们随着“一带一路”更紧密地联系起来。 英国驻香港总领事馆副总领事（贸易投资推广总裁）麦冠明认为，“一带一路”中最大的挑战是要分清“一带一路”这样一个大的概念，与它如何以不同的方法落实到不同的国家。在英国所采取的其中一项做法，便是将国内的高层领导与“一带一路”方面的工作相结合。 巴基斯坦驻香港总领事馆总领事卡迪尔•梅蒙表示，目前还没有在巴基斯坦的“一带一路”项目中看到香港的足迹。香港有很大的潜力，只是仍缺少相关的认识，亦不了解香港在巴基斯坦可以发挥的作用。我们需要更努力地去教育香港的商人，因为未来的机遇是巨大的。 津巴布韦驻香港总领事馆总领事Alfred MUTIWAZUKA表示，香港作为超级联系人和亚洲的金融中心，在促进公私营合作方面可发挥重要作用。因其本身特性使然，基建项目需要数年才能产生回报，所以通常很难交给私有资本。但是我非常相信香港可以透过创新的投资模式填补这一空白。 马来西亚驻港总领事馆总领事登姑拿督希拉祖扎曼认为，人们在提到“一带一路”倡议的时候总是想到基建项目，但是这个倡议里也存在着人的元素，而这对维持“一带一路”国家间的长远关系非常重要。 缅甸驻香港总领事馆总领事Myat Thuzar THAN表示，随着去年香港与缅甸之间的领导人会晤，两国之间的人心相通变得非常重要。缅甸欢迎更多的香港游客和投资者。 香港华仁书院学生袁晋乔认为，“一带一路”沿线国家应该要开始教育下一代和商界，让他们更好地了解这一倡议，以保证“一带一路”项目的持久性。 近年来，合规是法律界和企业界最受关注的话题之一。商务部数据显示，2018年1月至9月，我国境内投资者共对全球155个国家和地区的4597家境外企业进行了非金融类直接投资，累计实现投资820.2亿美元，同比增长5.1%。中国企业“走出去”呈现多元化发展，不仅大势没有改变，未来还将向更高水准发展。随着全球价值链竞争时代的到来，企业的价值链向全球延伸的同时，也意味着企业面临的合规挑战也愈发严峻。合规的“规”不再仅限于本国的法律法规，还包括东道国法律法规以及国际通行规则，甚至是非国际通行规则。 以“‘一带一路’企业的合规竞争力”为主题的第三场专题研讨会，由全国企业合规委员会副主席王志乐担任主持人，中国移动国际有限公司公司事务部及合规管理办公室总经理王羿洲、华润集团总法律顾问阎飙和香港中联办经济部前副部长、国家商务部驻港贸易处前负责人（总代表）杨益担任演讲嘉宾。 王志乐表示，我国企业，特别是国有企业，在走向世界时，面对着的是已经改变了的全球竞争新方式和全球竞争新规则。显然，我国企业面临着严峻的挑战。如果能够理解和把握全球竞争的新方式以及新规则，我国企业则有可能实现跨越式发展，创造发展中国家企业成长的新经验。 中国日报社拥有报纸、网站、移动用户端、脸谱、推特、微博、微信、电子报等十余种媒介平台。在海外，通过每月发行《中国观察报》（China Watch），直达美国《华尔街日报》和《华盛顿邮报》、英国《每日电讯报》、法国《费加罗报》、泰国《民族报》、俄罗斯《俄罗斯报》、日本《每日新闻》等美、欧、亚主流读者群。 中国日报是中国国家英文日报和中央主要宣传文化单位之一，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，全媒体用户总数约1.5亿，全球发行90万份。截至2018年10月，我报微博粉丝数超过3902万，微信订阅人数470万，客户端全球下载用户超过1500万，脸谱账号粉丝数超过5600万，推特账号粉丝数270万。中国日报是中国走向世界、世界了解中国的重要窗口，是国内外高端人士首选的中国英文媒体。 媒体垂询： 洪梦求 小姐 电话：（852）3465 5427 电邮：melody@chinadailyhk.com

Hong Kong should further enhance its role as a “super-connector” in the Belt and Road Initiative, linking countries along the route and supporting them with high-quality professional services. These remarks were made by speakers at a panel discussion during the Belt and Road Conference, a China Daily Asia Leadership Roundtable event, in Hong Kong on Monday. Under the theme “Tapping Belt and Road Opportunities in the Greater Bay Area”, the event united delegations of government officials, business leaders and academic researchers from around the region. “Hong Kong’s strength is on the maritime side,” said Regina Ip Lau Suk-yee, co-chair of the Maritime Silk Road Society. “We are a maritime economy and we have always thrived on trade.” Referring to the panel’s theme “When the Belt meets the Road in Hong Kong”, Ip noted the city’s strong connection with Southeast Asia, which not only builds business networks, but also links “hearts and minds” as many people from South China have emigrated to Southeast Asian countries since ancient times. Ip expects Hong Kong to play an increasingly important role in fostering greater links with other countries, whether developed or developing, along the Belt and Road routes. Thomas Chan Man-hung, director of the One Belt One Road Research Institute of Chu Hai College of Higher Education, said as the BRI links countries and regions together, it provides a platform for the further industrialization and economic development of all participants. Chan was the moderator of the panel discussion. “One of the biggest challenges is to really separate the big idea of the initiative from how it will manifest itself in very different ways in different parts of the world,” said Paul McComb, director of general trade and investment of the British consulate-general Hong Kong. McComb said the United Kingdom has realized the need for its senior leadership to engage in the initiative, get involved and make contributions. Also, he said that establishing criteria for the types of projects is key for creating a BRI asset class, as a lot of institutional investment is required to fulfill the ambitious initiative. Abdul Qadir Memon, consul general of Pakistan in Hong Kong, said the city’s lack of involvement in BRI projects in Pakistan indicates great potential for the special administrative region. “I believe it is because a lack of understanding,” said Memon, adding that more should be done to educate the city’s business people to grasp the tremendous opportunities ahead. Noting the importance of participation from the private sector, Alfred Mutiwazuka, consul general of Zimbabwe in the city, said Hong Kong can play a key role in setting up private and public partnerships as a super-connector and as Asia’s financial hub. “Infrastructure projects, by their nature, take years to generate returns. Therefore, it is normally hard to sell to private capital,” said Mutiwazuka.He said Hong Kong can help fill the gap with innovative solutions and support the success of the BRI with its professional services expertise in areas like legal, accounting and engineering. Tengku Sirajuzzaman, consul general of Malaysia to Hong Kong and Macao, said Hong Kong is a very important partner for Malaysia as most of its exports eventually go to the Chinese mainland. “The relationship between Hong Kong and Myanmar has been growing rapidly in recent years,” said Myat Thuzar Than, consul general of Myanmar. She said Hong Kong is the fourth-largest investor and a major trading partner of Myanmar. “Hong Kong can not only play a role in financing and infrastructure, but also in providing professional services in the China-Myanmar Economic Corridor,” said Than. Speaking for the young generation, Jenkin Yuen, a student at the Wah Yan College in Hong Kong, said every country along the Belt and Road can enhance education regarding the initiative while establishing a transnational education link, as the younger generation will be key to ensuring the longevity of BRI projects.