'HK has big role to play in GBA tech development'

Under Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry Lillian Cheong on Thursday said Hong Kong has a big role to play in the innovation development of the Greater Bay Area. Addressing a panel at the World Internet Conference in Wuzhen, Cheong said the SAR can act as a hub for global innovative resources and a data port. “For us to seek new developments, we should rely on the interaction and usage of data. Hong Kong has unique advantages. It can be the hub for global innovative resources,” she said. “It can connect both mainland data and overseas data. It can be a data port. Hong Kong can also allow the orderly flow of data and facilitate the overall development of the Greater Bay Area.” She added that the administration has signed a cross-border data flow MOU with the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC). Sun Weimin, chief engineer of the CAC, told the same forum that the digital economy has become a crucial force reshaping the world’s innovation landscape. Sun called for innovation-led and secure development to create a bright future for the GBA’s internet industry. “The Greater Bay Area has a highly developed economy and a high degree of digitalisation, facing more urgent security threats. It is necessary to strengthen cooperation in aspects such as information sharing and incident handling,” she said.