2018年12月6日 香港：中国日报亚洲领袖圆桌论坛今天在香港举办题为“知识产权融合时代：跨界合作价值最大化”的专题研讨会，吸引逾300名来自国内外的政、商、法律及学界的业界翘楚参会。 本场研讨会由中国日报与亚洲知识产权营商论坛合办。艺恩公司创始人兼首席执行官郜寿智先生；广东原创动力文化传播有限公司总经理及“喜羊羊之父”、“开心超人之父”黄伟明先生；中手游科技集团有限公司联合创始人及副董事长冼汉廸先生；中文在线数字出版集团常务副总裁谢广才先生；盛大游戏首席执行官兼董事谢斐女士；以及“阿狸”原创作者及梦之城创始人、董事长兼首席执行官徐瀚先生受邀担任本场研讨会演讲嘉宾。 近年来，在IP（知识产权）热潮的影响之下，除了影视，游戏、文学及动漫IP的开发热度也不断推高。IP原意为知识产权，是英文知识产权的缩写，随着内容产业的发展和粉丝经济的火热，IP内容正逐渐成为商业变现的热门所在，各行业也已迅速意识到IP的强大吸金能力。对热门IP进行游戏、影视、文学的改编，曾打造出不少广受大众喜爱的成功案例。目前，腾讯、爱奇艺等知名公司也开始致力于打通IP全产业链，构建打通游戏、文学、动漫、影视等多种文创业务领域的互动娱乐新生态。在如此趋势下，本次研讨会将聚焦于知识产权的内容延伸性，六位演讲嘉宾将探索在跨界合作的过程中，如何才能长线经营，将知识产权价值最大化。 致力于整合、发展及推广手游生态系统，中手游坐拥强大的IP合作资源，从影视到文学再到动漫，已然成为中国内地第一大全平台发行方。冼汉廸表示，尽管IP难以孵化，但是仍然要着力于发展自己的IP，因为获取他人IP的成本越来越高。中手游通过投资手段，目前已经有“仙剑奇侠传”系列、“大富翁”系列、“轩辕剑”系列等近七十个知名IP，这些都为企业的下一步发展打下了良好的基础。 定位为以数据洞察为核心的平台公司，艺恩公司对IP跨界改编产业有独到的见解。其首席执行官郜寿智指出，电影、综艺节目、电视剧、漫画等改编成游戏，确实可以取得比较好的用户活跃度，有的甚至可以达到千万级用户规模，但是背后存在非常严峻的问题，即跨界改编的产品生命周期相对较短，题材泛滥亦分流了大众的吸引力。一个成熟的IP，往往需要十年周期的积累，而目前许多IP企业，积累了一定用户就急于收割变现。他续指，IP业界应审慎改编经典作品，积极考虑如科幻类等的较新题材；在改编电影时，亦应了解票房情况与一部电影是否适合改编并无直接关系。 盛大游戏成立于1999年。作为中国内地老牌游戏公司的首席执行官，谢斐表示盛大游戏在IP发展方面有发言权。她说，IP产业的发展，已经从传统的游戏、影视、动漫、文学等泛娱乐范畴，渗透到文旅、酒店、主题公园、新零售等形态，这些都为今时今日IP产业的发展增加了厚度，亦为IP融合在更大范围内制造机会与想象力提供了条件。 谢斐相信，游戏产品的生命周期是有限的，但一个IP的生命周期应是无限的。她说，真正成功的IP应是一个凝聚正能量、温度、快乐的“信仰”，而不仅仅局限于其用户流量、变现能力或热度；当这一可持续的“信仰”建立起来时，盈利也自然会来。 作为中文在线的创始人，谢广才坦言，中国内地IP行业面临的一个重要问题，就是缺乏IP的开发。他说，一部IP作品的成熟需要较长的周期，在产生影响力和传播力之后，才应进行相应的开发，“应该把IP作品当孩子养起来。” “喜羊羊之父”及“开心超人之父”黄伟明认为，IP市场不断变化，风口不断改变，但核心是“内容”，一个好的IP必须拥有独特的内容，“幽默”、“感人”、“正能量”是打造IP品牌的关键要素。他解释说，幽默是永恒的收视保证，感人亦不需要讲大道理，而正能量是成为品牌的必要条件。 谈及什么样的IP才是好IP，著名卡通人物“阿狸”的创作者徐瀚认为，其标准就是“你是否愿意拿这部作品给孩子看”，因此他希望他创作的“阿狸”可以成为孩子和家长之间的爱心纽带。 徐瀚以绘本为例，指出不同国家出品的绘本都反映了自己的价值观，目前市场上有很多欧美绘本，他希望中国内地和香港可以出品更多令人喜闻乐见的绘本，将中国文化和东方文化传播出去。 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。 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。 媒体垂询： 洪梦求 小姐 电话：（852）3465 5427 电邮：melody@chinadailyhk.com

Developing Hong Kong’s innovation and technology sector is a high priority for Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor, who says innovation is vital to unlocking the enormous value and benefits of intellectual property. Lam was speaking at the open of the Business of IP Asia Forum — the two-day event in Hong Kong on Thursday — which drew 2,500 people. She said combining IP and innovation requires much more than having some great ideas in today’s highly competitive global marketplace. “True innovation occurs when inventors can harness the power of IP and commercial insights, and successfully transform new inventions into products and services which can benefit users in need,” she said. IP creation and trading are growing rapidly in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. A survey reveals the number of patent applications from the Bay Area reached 176,000 last year. This surpassed the total of the world’s three other bay areas. Tech giants such as Huawei, ZTE and Tencent contributed the most. Benefiting from opportunities brought about by the Belt and Road Initiative as well as the Bay Area, Lam said Hong Kong could serve as an IP trading hub for the Asia-Pacific region. She said the special administrative region government would double funding for three schemes under the Innovation and Technology Fund. This is with the aim of unleashing Hong Kong companies’ scientific research capabilities and realizing research and development findings. The city’s IP regime will also be augmented. The government will continue to take action to protect the legitimate rights and interests of IP rights’ holders. According to the latest Global Competitiveness Report by the World Economic Forum, Hong Kong ranked ninth out of 140 economies in IP protection. Meanwhile, tax laws were amended in June to encourage IP trading. It has expanded profits-tax deductions for capital expenditure incurred for the purchase of IP rights from five to eight types. An original grant patent system is being established as well and can be launched next year. Margaret Fong Shun-man, executive director of the Hong Kong Trade Development Council, stressed Hong Kong’s important role in IP value-chain activities. “As well as being a prominent center for innovation, commerce, trade and finance in Asia, Hong Kong is a focal point for the generation and trading of IP, including technology transfer, licensing, franchising and copyright trading,” she said. On the Chinese mainland, protection and utilization of IP is expected to be favorable for innovation, business growth and social development, said He Zhimin, deputy commissioner of National Intellectual Property Administration. Statistics released by the World Intellectual Property Organization early this month showed that the mainland is the driving force for growth in patent filings, as well as trademark and industrial design applications in 2017. The amount of patent filings worldwide reached 3.17 million; of these the mainland accounted for 44 percent. “The tighter and tighter IP protection policy has provided guarantees for overseas companies building innovative businesses in China. “It boosts technology communication between overseas and domestic enterprises as well,” said He. He believes stricter protection could attract more overseas companies as the mainland is opening its doors “wider and wider” to the world.

HONG KONG - China's capacity for innovation has been growing remarkably in recent years due to its enhanced efforts for intellectual property (IP) protection, speakers said at the Business of IP Asia Forum opened in Hong Kong on Thursday. IP protection has become the most important part of China's efforts to improve its property rights protection system, as well as the primary impetus for increasing its economic competitiveness, said He Zhimin, deputy director of China's National Intellectual Property Administration. By enhancing IP protection, China is creating an environment conducive to innovation and business and promoting its economic and social development, He said, citing the Global Innovation Index (GII) 2018 released in June by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO). According to the GII 2018, China, whose global ranking rose from the 22th in 2017 to the 17th this year, has become the first middle-income economy on the list of the world's 20 most innovative economies. Wang Binying, deputy director general of WIPO, said at the forum's plenary session that China's rapid rise in the GII ranking "shows the way for other middle-income economies." "The essential pairing of IP and innovation is driving business growth and improving quality of life all over the world. That certainly includes China, a rising IP powerhouse," Carrie Lam, chief executive of China's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), said in her speech at the opening of the forum. Citing statistics released by WIPO, Lam said "China is the driving force for the growth in patent filings, as well as trademark and industrial design applications." Noting that the number of patent applications from the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area outnumbered the total number of those filed by the world's three other renowned bay areas, namely Tokyo, New York and San Francisco, Lam described the Greater Bay Area's growth potential for IP creation and trading as "enormous." The Greater Bay Area development, as well as the Belt and Road initiative, "will give rise to immense opportunities for Hong Kong. They certainly include Hong Kong serving as an IP trading hub for the Asia-Pacific region," she said. The two-day international forum, on its eighth edition, was jointly organized by the HKSAR government, the Hong Kong Trade Development Council and the Hong Kong Design Center for IP experts, government officials and business sector to share insights on IP development and explore business opportunities.

China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations saw strengthened economic ties and boosted cooperation in infrastructure construction and business opportunities, speakers told the China-Philippines Business Forum held in Manila on Monday. This year is the China-ASEAN Innovation Year. Chinese Premier Li Keqiang told the 21st China-ASEAN Summit on Nov 14: “The two sides will release a joint statement on ASEAN-China science, technology and innovation cooperation, explore new mechanisms for this cooperation, work together to establish science parks, and deepen the implementation of the China-ASEAN Science and Technology Partnership Program.” In 2009, China announced it had set up a US$10-billion fund pool to support the region’s infrastructure construction. “The cornerstone of that is China wants to promote closer relationships, cooperation with the 10-member association,” said Patrick Ip, managing director of China-ASEAN Investment Cooperation Fund. Ip shared CAF’s investment philosophy during the panel discussion which focused on companies’ long-term growth and investing in a harmonious way to ensure all stakeholders are in a win-win situation. “We like to invest in the core competence of companies, invest in products and new services, and help companies make inorganic acquisitions,” Ip said. He said CAF thinks highly of digital infrastructure as one of the future drivers of the economy. “ASEAN has a very young demographic with high-level consumption. With the influence from China, the digital infrastructure will boom,” he added. According to Ip, CAF has made over 10 investments in almost all ASEAN countries since 2010. And its maiden investment was in the Philippines in 2010 when the country wanted to modernize its shipping industry and upgrade its logistics sector. Tan Qingsheng, deputy chief of mission and minister counselor at the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in the Republic of the Philippines, told the forum China has signed a Memorandum of Understanding on Cooperation on the Belt and Road Initiative with all ASEAN members. “With the signing of the MOU, we will be able to inject fresh vitality into bilateral relations and lift our economic and trade cooperation to a new level,” Tan said, stressing that during President Xi Jinping’s visit to the Philippines, Xi and Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte decided to upgrade China-Philippine ties to comprehensive strategic cooperation. Nicholas Kwan, director of Research at the Hong Kong Trade Development Council, also joined the panel discussion, saying Hong Kong has the largest number of consulates, except for key capitals around the world. “We are in a unique position to bring governments and businesses together. And we are here to team up all of our connections to make these globalization efforts broader and deeper,” he said.

Cooperation in digital technology between China and the Philippines has further deepened their bilateral ties and accelerated digital transformation in the Southeast-Asian nation, industry gurus told the China-Philippines Business Forum in Manila on Monday. At the forum’s second panel discussion themed “How Business Can Transform in the Digital Era”, Anthony Thomas, president and chief executive officer of Philippine mobile payment operator Mynt, and Jubert Daniel Alberto, country head of operations at Italpinas Development Corp Philippines, shared their insights on the challenges and prospects in the digital transformation and innovation trend. Partially owned by Ant Financial Services Group — the financial arm of Chinese e-commerce titan Alibaba Group, and formerly known as Alipay — Mynt started off with its mobile phone top-up service and has expanded to cover remittance and loan services, business solutions and platforms. “We look at digital transformation as something that really solves the problem,” Thomas said, describing Mynt’s partnership with Alipay as a strategic move that has brought value to both sides. “Alipay has brought more elements to the platform and also the capital. As we may know, the payment service is a very low margin business. If you really want to make it to the millions among the public, you have to make it more affordable first,” he said. “Beyond that, Alipay, as a leading global digital platform providing financial services, also provides expertise in customer experience and risk management to Mynt, which allows the investment we’re making to go further,” Thomas said. Chinese travelers — the second-largest group of foreign tourists in the Philippines — enjoy more convenience through the partnership between Mynt and Alipay. It helps cross-border payments by tourists through Mynt’s payment platform Gcash. “Tourists just need to scan a common Gcash or Alipay QR code to pay from their Alipay wallet,” Thomas explained. “We also launched a remittance flow between AlipayHK and Gcash, adopting blockchain technology,” he added. Besides Alibaba Group, Chinese tech behemoth Tencent teamed up with Philippine technology enterprise Voyager Innovations in an investment worth US$175 million last month. Thomas said he was excited to see several fintech giants tapping into the Philippines. “More capital coming in will help the business grow,” he said. According to Thomas, two out of three Filipinos don’t have access to bank accounts as the country is spread across more than 7,000 islands, and a third of the districts don’t have physical bank branches. “So the other side of it is that mobile devices are ubiquitous — everyone has a mobile phone.” Under such circumstances, Mynt plans to introduce various digital financial services to the public not just for convenience, but also variety. “When we define our own business, we work with lots of other businesses which are also looking at transformation. And, we embed digital transformation into their businesses which, ultimately, will benefit customers and ourselves,” Thomas said. Addressing concerns arising from digital payment platforms, Thomas said the transparency and constant flow of data recorded actually could enhance security. Besides, part of Alipay’s investment is used to strengthen such security. “We have the expertise from China. Moreover, regarding fraud losses from payments through Alipay, more data flowing into the digital world can be captured, leading to better detection and monitoring of potential fraud,” he said. Traditional brick-and-mortar banks in the Philippines have also partnered with digital financial services providers, such as Mynt’s Gcash. “We’re not competing with the banks, but cooperating with them, providing them access to the platform,” Thomas said. However, both Thomas and Alberto admitted it will still take some time for Filipinos to fully embrace the era of digital transformation. According to Alberto, less than 3 percent of the Philippine GDP came from digital products and services last year. “It’s already there with little digital products and services, but not that much,” he said. However, starting this year, three out of five organizations in the Philippines are considering embracing digital transformation. “We’re saying that, by 2021, the immense use of all technology, business objects of organizations will contribute heavily to the country’s GDP — to about 40 percent,” Alberto said. He saw a promising future for the two countries by cooperating in digital services and technology. “The technologies coming from China could give the Philippines more options and alternatives,” he said. “And, it’s obvious that the technologies benefit us and help local SMEs and other enterprises in the long run.”

China and the Philippines only established diplomatic relations in 1975, but the trade ties between the two countries can be traced back to as early as the 10th century. It is these centuries-old trade ties, forged through the ancient Maritime Silk Road, that will continue to strengthen China-Philippine relations in coming years, said analysts and senior officials at the China-Philippines Business Forum held in Manila on Monday. The forum, which focused on the theme “Taking the China-Philippines Relations to New Heights”, was organized by China Daily and sponsored by Bank of China. Representatives from the Philippine and Chinese governments, business, academics and the media attended the event. Participants at the forum discussed how Chinese investments and infrastructure financing in the Philippines and the 29 cooperation agreements signed during Chinese President Xi Jinping’s state visit to the Philippine capital on Nov 20-21 have deepened bilateral relations. “Economic cooperation is a win-win choice for us and should be the bedrock of our relations,” said Tan Qingsheng, charge d’affaires at the Chinese embassy in the Philippines. Tan said in his keynote speech that the Philippines and China have a “history of friendly exchanges for more than 1,000 years”. Such relations continue to this day, and China is extending financial and technical support to help the Philippines promote economic growth and social development, he noted. Tan cited the China-funded projects under Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte’s flagship infrastructure development program. The massive program, more popularly known as “Build, Build, Build”, aims to transform the Philippines into an upper-middle-income economy by 2022. It needs 3.6 trillion pesos (US$175.6 billion) to upgrade the country’s infrastructure over the next three years. Tan said China-funded projects are part of the “Build, Build, Build” program. “They are proposed by the Philippine side and are economically viable and positive for the Philippine economy.” Philippine Finance Undersecretary Mark Dennis Y.C. Joven said Philippine-China relations had “experienced a golden age” in recent years. He said China is now the Philippines’ biggest trading partner and one of the biggest sources of investments and tourists. He noted that in the first quarter of this year, FDI from China surged over 500 percent compared with the previous year. Official data also show China recently emerged as a key trading partner and tourism market for the Philippines. According to the latest report issued by the Philippine Statistics Authority, China has surpassed Japan to become the Philippines’ biggest trading partner. In the first half of this year, trade between the two countries reached US$14.08 billion. The Philippines exported US$4.09 billion worth of goods to China, while payment for imports was valued at US$9.99 billion. Data from the Philippine Department of Tourism show that next only to South Korea, China is now the second-biggest source of tourists for the Philippines. From January to September, Chinese visitor arrivals surged by 34.9 percent year-on-year to more than 972,550. John Gong Jiong, economics professor at the Beijing-based University of International Business and Economics, said increased Chinese investments in the Philippines “seek mutual benefits for mutual interests”. “China-Philippine economic relations will present many opportunities, wealth, and will (create) a great future for our nations,” he said. Zhou Li, editorial board member of China Daily Group and publisher and editor-in-chief of China Daily Asia Pacific, said there’s a need to “reaffirm economic commitments” between China and the Philippines, especially at a time when the “US-China trade war looms large”. Deng Jun, country head for Bank of China’s branch in Manila, said the two countries have also deepened their financial cooperation in the past few years. Deng said the bank has committed to extend a US$3-billion credit line from 2016 to 2022 to finance the Philippines’ infrastructure and trade. Three of the 29 agreements signed during Xi’s state visit will enhance the financial cooperation between the two countries, he said. Renminbi-peso accords These three documents are the Memorandum of Understanding on Renminbi Clearing Arrangement between the central banks of two countries, the MOU on Panda Bonds Issuance between the Philippine Department of Finance and Bank of China, and Letter of No Objection to the Organization of the Renminbi-Philippine Peso Foreign Exchange Trading Market granted by the Philippine central bank to the Philippine RMB Trading Community. Deng said the renminbi-peso direct trading platform will benefit Chinese and Filipino investors, entrepreneurs and tourists. This will expand business opportunities in both countries as they no longer have to convert their respective currencies to US dollars to seal financial transactions. “It will save friction costs, reduce the foreign exchange exposure risks, and promote the economic cooperation of both countries,” he said. Deng added that BOC served as underwriter for Philippine bonds to help the Duterte administration raise funds for its infrastructure program. “We were the lead underwriter of the successful issuance of the ‘Panda Bond’, and we received several international awards,” he said. In March, the Philippines issued 1.46 billion yuan (US$230 million) in three-year “Panda Bonds”. And the country’s first “Panda Bond” issuance generated 9.22 billion yuan in bids — 6.32 times the approved issue size — according to National Treasurer Rosalia de Leon. Participants in the China-Philippines Business Forum likewise stressed that the Philippines and other Southeast-Asian countries have a key role to play in the Belt and Road Initiative. Federico Macaranas, adjunct professor at the Asian Institute of Management, cited Chinese Premier Li Keqiang’s view that the Maritime Silk Road — the sea-based trade component of the BRI — is primarily oriented toward the Southeast-Asian region. In the case of the Philippines, Macaranas said the country’s interest in the BRI needs to be viewed from the perspective of “comprehensive and strategic cooperation” that was formed after Xi’s visit. Macaranas said the dispute over the South China Sea had once strained China-Philippine relations, but “the economic and social underpinnings of China-Philippine relations must not be determined by a single, albeit very important, issue”. “Other dimensions are needed to ensure 21st century peace, prosperity and sustainable development,” he said. Tan said the Philippines “is a natural partner” in the BRI, and that one of the most important documents signed during Xi’s visit was the Memorandum of Understanding on Cooperation on the Belt and Road Initiative. The MOU formalizes the Philippines’ participation in the BRI. The two countries also agreed to cooperate in developing the economies that are part of the initiative. Tan said the MOU signing and Xi’s invitation to Duterte to attend the second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation in April next year will lift Philippine-China relations to a new level. Deng said BOC has actively participated in the BRI and encouraged other banks to invest in the Maritime Silk Road. He said funding infrastructure projects is just one way commercial banks can participate in the BRI. He noted that the BRI has several components, such as financial and trade connectivity. He said banks can also invest in, and benefit from the BRI by facilitating trade. “There are tremendous opportunities for banks to develop their businesses to support the construction of the Maritime Silk Road. Consequently, benefits will arise from these opportunities,” he said.

中国日报马尼拉11月27日电 中国日报11月26日在菲律宾马尼拉举办题为“中菲关系：从新起点迈向新高度”的“2018中菲商业论坛”，吸引逾300名来自两国的政、商、学界人士参加。 中国国家主席习近平11月20日对菲律宾进行了国事访问，这是中国国家元首十三年来首次访菲，具有里程碑意义。为进一步加强中菲间沟通与信任，深化两国在资源开发、人文交流、贸易便利化、数字经济等方面的合作，中国日报举行本次论坛，并设“共建共享21世纪海上丝绸之路的机遇”和“数字时代下企业的转型与重塑”两场研讨会。中国驻菲律宾大使馆临时代办檀勍生、菲律宾财政部副部长马克·丹尼斯·卓文，以及菲律宾旅游部旅游发展与规划部副部长罗伯特·阿拉巴多出席并发表主旨演讲。 檀勍生在主旨演讲中提到，国家主席习近平访问菲律宾，给我们提供了一个极好的机会来探索两国合作的各个可能性并且将合作更进一步推进。作为菲律宾的邻居、朋友以及可靠的伙伴，中国将继续保持并推进与菲律宾的友好关系和双边互惠合作，一起分享未来的发展及繁荣。 他表示，在两国领导人的共同努力下，中菲关系过去两年出现了巨大转机。历史经验告诉我们，第一政治互信非常重要；第二经济合作有利于互利共赢应是中菲关系基石；第三我们应妥善处理矛盾分歧，南海问题并不是中菲双边关系的全部。 檀勍生继指，中国日报组织这个论坛很及时，正好提供一个向菲律宾社会各界深入诠释习近平主席访菲的全面成果的机会。他对中国日报举行“2018中菲商业论坛”表示感谢，认为中国日报在促进中菲关系向好发展，增进两国人民互相了解起到了重要作用。 马克·丹尼斯·卓文强调，菲律宾与中国于1975年建交，在最近的几年，菲中关系正在经历过去43年前所未见的黄金时期。数据显示，中国对菲律宾的外商直接投资，与去年相比增长超过五倍，其中2017年，菲中两国贸易额达448亿美元。 罗伯特·阿拉巴多表示，旅游业占菲律宾GDP的12.2%，相当于1.93万亿菲律宾比索。2019年源自中国的旅游人数将达到150万，超过美国游客人数。我们要平衡旅游商机和社会责任，以此达至国家可持续发展。 习近平主席本月访菲期间，两国元首共同规划双边关系未来发展，达成重要共识，一致决定在相互尊重、坦诚相待、平等互利、合作共赢基础上建立中菲全面战略合作关系。习近平强调，双方要把安全、发展、人文三大支柱领域合作扎扎实实推向深入，扩大教育、文化、旅游等交流合作。菲律宾是中国共建“一带一路”的重要伙伴。双方要深化“一带一路”倡议，与菲律宾发展战略对接，加强基础设施建设、电信、农业等领域合作。 2016年下半年以来，中菲两国从外交、经贸等领域双边磋商全面恢复到新的海上合作机制正式启动，两国关系全面改善发展引人注目。国务委员兼外交部长王毅曾表示，菲律宾历史上就是海上丝绸之路的重要一站，在共建“一带一路”进程中，菲方不会也不应缺席。菲律宾财政部也曾表示，菲方希望将基础设施建设与“一带一路”倡议相对接，深入参与21世纪海上丝绸之路建设。 论坛的首场研讨会即以“共建共享21世纪海上丝绸之路的机遇”为主题。“21世纪海上丝绸之路”倡议于2013年提出，目标是通过政策沟通、设施联通、贸易畅通、资金融通和民心相通这“五通”，与相关各国打造政治互信、经济融合、文化包容的命运共同体。 中国银行致力于搭好中菲经贸投资往来桥梁，推广人民币在菲律宾的使用。研讨会演讲嘉宾中国银行马尼拉分行行长邓军在会上表示，随着中菲两国联系的加深，更多的中国投资人、商人、游客前往菲律宾。我们愿意成为资金提供者，债券发行承销商来支持建设项目，联系两国的市场来促进贸易、投资及金融基金。与此同时，在联系海上丝绸之路的各国贸易和投资发展中促进人民币流通，及以人民币作为支付手段和结算货币来降低转换成本，并且减少外汇风险。 对外经济贸易大学经济系教授龚炯指出，现在很明显的是，中国在菲律宾的投资是符合双方利益的，不是一厢情愿，而是双方彼此需求所致。中国的“一带一路”倡议和菲律宾总统杜特尔特的“大建特建”的基础设施建设计划项目是天赐良机，我们应该一起全力加速前进。中菲经济关系会带来很多机会与财富，同时也会为我们的国家带来很光明的未来。 中国-东盟投资合作基金主要投资于东盟地区的基础设施、能源和自然资源等领域，是目前少数致力于投资东盟地区的大型私募股权基金。该基金的董事总经理叶家强表示，中国2009年宣布投资基金超100亿美元予东盟国家。这其中的本质是中国想要更好地与十个东盟国家合作，同时，中国想要在例如基础设施等很多关键领域上投资。 香港贸易发展局致力于促进香港的对外贸易，并同时推动香港作为国际商贸平台，吸引全球各地的企业到香港营商。局方研究总监关家明表示，我们在努力将“一带一路”更加国际化、全球化，这是一个中国倡议、全世界都参与并拥有的计划。把世界联系起来，这才是最重要的因素。 亚洲管理研究所客座教授弗德里克·马喀拉纳斯认为，菲中的经济社会合作基础不应该单纯地被单一事项影响。其他方面也需要加以强调，来保证21世纪的和平、繁荣以及可持续发展，譬如全球变暖问题。 当前，数字经济、互联网经济正日益改变商业运行方式，亚太经合组织第二十六次领导人非正式会议也将“拥抱数字化未来”列入主题，将数字经济置于“重中之重”。而拥抱数字化未来，离不开新形势下的转型与创新。 论坛的第二场研讨会以“数字时代下企业的转型与重塑”为主题，演讲嘉宾朱贝尔·阿尔贝托是国际数据公司菲律宾地区负责人，该公司是信息技术、电信行业和消费科技市场咨询、顾问和活动服务专业提供商。他在研讨会上表示，很多公司都非常想来菲律宾投资，这对于菲律宾很多科技公司、传统制造业公司以及依靠科技运营的零售公司都是利好的。对于政府来说，他们真的需要更好地适应数字化的商业模式。 菲律宾最大的数字金融公司Mynt在2017年与蚂蚁金服合作推出电子钱包Gcash。Mynt公司总裁兼首席执行官安东尼·托马斯担任该场研讨会的另一位演讲嘉宾，他提到菲律宾的数字网络化的基础建设已经建好，对于公司和用户来说，从传统方式到数字化是自然的转换。阿里巴巴投资Mynt是两家公司战略性的合作，他们帮助Mynt进入更多平台，并且在用户体验和风险管控上具有丰富经验。 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。 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。 媒体垂询： 洪梦求 小姐 电话：（852）3465 5427 电邮：melody@chinadailyhk.com

Economic cooperation is key to strengthening relations between China and the Philippines, experts and senior officials said at the China-Philippines Business Forum held in Manila. Participants in the forum on Monday stressed that the two countries' centuries-long trade ties, China's rising investments in the Philippines and the 29 cooperation agreements signed during Chinese President Xi Jinping's Nov 20-21 state visit to the Philippine capital had deepened bilateral relations. The one-day forum, which focused on the theme "Taking the China-Philippines Relations to New Heights", was organized by China Daily and sponsored by Bank of China. Representatives from the Philippine and Chinese government, business, academic and media sectors attended the event at the Grand Hyatt Manila. "Economic cooperation is a win-win choice for us and should be the bedrock of our relations," said Tan Qingsheng, charge d'affaires at the Chinese embassy in the Philippines. Tan said in his keynote address that China can extend both financial and technical support to help the Philippines promote economic growth and social development. He cited the China-funded projects that fall under Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte's flagship infrastructure development program. Philippine Finance Undersecretary Mark Dennis Y.C. Joven said Philippines-China relations have been "experiencing a golden age" in recent years. He said China is now the Philippines' biggest trading partner and one of the biggest sources of investment and tourism. He noted that in the first quarter of 2018, FDI from China surged by over 500 percent compared with the previous year. Zhou Li, editorial board member of the China Daily Group and Publisher/Editor-in-Chief of China Daily Asia Pacific, said there's a need to "reaffirm the economic commitments" between China and the Philippines, especially at a time that the "US-China trade war looms large". China-Philippines ties also go beyond trade ties. As Deng Jun, country head for Bank of China's branch in Manila, noted in his speech, the two countries can also deepen their financial cooperation. He said the bank has committed at least $3 billion to finance Philippine infrastructure and trade. It also served as an underwriter for Philippine bonds, helping the Duterte administration raise funds for its infrastructure program. Deng said three of the 29 agreements signed during Xi's state visit will enhance financial cooperation between the two countries. These three documents are the Memorandum of Understanding on Renminbi Clearing Arrangement between the central banks of two countries, the MOU on Panda Bonds Issuance between the Philippine Department of Finance and Bank of China, and the Letter of No Objection to the Organization of the Renminbi-Philippine Peso Foreign Exchange Trading Market granted by the central bank of the Philippines to the Philippine RMB Trading Community.

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.