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Following is the speech by the Chief Executive, Mr Donald Tsang, delivered at the Global Editors Network "News World Summit" this morning (November 28):
President Vidal-Folch (President of Global Editors Forum), Members of the GEN Board, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen,
Thank you very much for this opportunity to speak with you today. When the invitation was first sent to my office, I thought for a minute it was the "News of the World Summit", which made me wonder whether the phone hacking enquiry in London was moving to Hong Kong.
But my shock was short-lived and I realised that I was being asked to address the "News World Summit", which is a high-level conference of newspaper editors and executives from around the world.
Having said that, I believe that "Ethical Journalism after News of the World" is one of the main topics for discussion tomorrow afternoon. Who knows, I may even pop back for that session and listen to the conversation.
First of all, though, I would like to thank and congratulate the Global Editors Network for its foresight in selecting Hong Kong as the host city for this first News World Summit. I think you have made a great choice, and indeed we are honoured that you have done so.
I would like to welcome, also, all the participants who have come from across the globe to take part in this inaugural conference. This conference has brought together delegates from, I understand, North America, Europe, Asia, the Middle East, Africa, the Pacific and Latin America. Given the current state of the world economy, this is no mean feat! But I do hope this marks the start of a long and successful series of events for GEN, and of course I hope we can welcome you back here to Hong Kong for another News World Summit in the future.
"Go East! What to Learn from Asian Media", I agree, is a very timely and appropriate theme for your first conference. Not because I can really offer any in-depth insights into the way the media is developing in this part of the world - I will leave that up to the esteemed experts that you have at your disposal over the next few days.
But, because I think it is fair to say that Asia is now the focus of greater world attention in the economic, political and social spheres. And, if you pardon the understatement, this is hardly a surprise to us given that more than half the world lives in Asia.
As an Asian, and as a politician in Asia, I welcome the opportunity to increase understanding about the diverse and rich cultures that have existed in this part of the world for thousands of years.
And, if I may be so bold as to suggest that perhaps an alternative title for this important get-together might simply be "Go East! What to Learn" - not just confining it to the media, but also an exploration of the expectations, hopes, potential and even drawbacks of life and business in the Orient. Anything that furthers deeper engagement and understanding of Asia - which of course includes media coverage and discourse - must be a good thing.
I mention this because while the Internet has certainly made the world a flatter and more connected place, there is still no substitute for personal experience. And this conference provides us here in Hong Kong with a golden opportunity to showcase what is possible when you combine a well-educated and resilient workforce with a tried and trusted legal system, clean government, a level playing field for business and an unswerving commitment to the free and unfettered flow of information and news.
Of course, the free flow of news and information is highly relevant and important to you all - given your work in the media. But it cannot flourish in a vacuum without, for example, the legal infrastructure to protect this right, or a government that treasures its value, or indeed a population willing to fight for it. In Hong Kong, we have all of this. The free flow of news and information is of strategic importance to us, and a vital element for our success.
Freedom of speech as well as freedom of the press and publication are protected by law and specifically mentioned in our constitutional law. So, too, are freedom of conscience, freedom of belief, freedom of movement and freedom to engage in academic research, artistic creation and other cultural activities.
We are known the world over as a dynamic business city - and business understands very deeply that timely, untainted and varied information is needed to make rational and educated business decisions.
The fact that they can readily meet this need in Hong Kong is one reason why more than 3,900 international and Mainland Chinese companies have their regional business operations in Hong Kong - the highest concentration in the whole of Asia. Information has always been a currency, and in Hong Kong that currency flows rapidly and freely.
It is also why Hong Kong is a regional media and communications hub. Let me give you some figures to illustrate this. On the media front:
50 - the number of daily newspapers printed in Hong Kong, for a population of 7 million Hong Kong people. On average, everyone in Hong Kong aged between 12 and 64 reads at least 1.5 newspapers a day in print or online.
100, at least - the number of international media organisations based in Hong Kong. Among them, regional operations of major players such as the Financial Times, the Wall Street Journal, the International Herald Tribune, The Economist, BusinessWeek, CNN, Time-Warner, AFP, Bloomberg and Thomson-Reuters. I say "at least" because we do not have a system of registering foreign correspondents in Hong Kong - they are on our contact list because they want to receive information from the Government. I am sure there are many more. But they are not, I must stress, forced or obliged to use the Hong Kong Government news.
200 - the number of satellite TV stations uplinked from 17 licencees in Hong Kong. Just remember there is a population of 7 million people occupying a total global area of 1,500 square kilometers.
645 - the number of periodicals published in Hong Kong.
700 - the number of free-to-air terrestrial and satellite TV stations available in Hong Kong.
Adding to this mix next year will be up to 18 digital audio broadcast channels - on top of the 13 analogue channels we have now; and our first broadcast-type mobile TV service provider.
So you can see that in Hong Kong, we have a huge variety of options available for people to access all manner of information from all corners of the globe.
As an aside, I would also mention that we operate a 24-hour news enquiry service through our Information Services Department - the government department that has been responsible for news and media services for more than 50 years. So, if ever you are looking for information on Hong Kong, you can call or e-mail us at any time and there will be someone on hand to take your questions and get back to you as soon as possible with the answers.
Because of digital convergence, telecommunications infrastructure is also of vital importance. We have been working hard on this for many years, by upgrading infrastructure and deregulating the industry. Hong Kong is home to the world's first fully digitalised telecoms network, and there are not many places that can match us in terms of access, cost and efficiency in telecommunications. A few more figures:
85 per cent - broadband penetration rate for households. In other words, you have fibre optics reach into each and every building in Hong Kong.
Just under 100 per cent - broadband penetration rate for commercial premises
201 per cent - mobile phone penetration rate in Hong Kong. That's right, there are on average two phones for every one person in Hong Kong. I have three phones. And two i-pads, one for government use and one for private. Three phones, so as to make sure I have reception from all different people, different sets, so even in the very deep corner of Hong Kong I am able to access. Perhaps it is a bit crazy. But on average, it is more than one phone a day. Considering Hong Kong has a population of 7 million, that means there are 14 million potential receivers of mobile phone news, information feeds and Apps. This is a food for thought for you.
9,100 - number of public WiFi hotspots in Hong Kong, which makes us a world leader in the provision of public WiFi infrastructure. Many of the hotspots are free-of-charge. You can sit down in a coffee shop or on a bench in one of our beautiful parks, log-on, collect your mail, write your blog, skype a friend in New York, file a report, send a photo. Because we understand the importance of information, we want the whole city to be your office.
Digital convergence also means that we need to upgrade our regulatory framework. Earlier this year, we passed a law to establish a Communications Authority, which we aim to have up and running by the middle of next year.
One of the first tasks of the Authority will be to review and rationalise our laws on broadcasting and telecommunications. We aim to rationalise our regulatory regimes concerning cross-media ownership and foreign ownership restrictions, licensing authorities and appeal mechanisms, etc.
We hope that by responding to changes and advances in technology this way we will be able to foster the development of a vibrant communications sector that enhances our credentials as a communications and media hub. We hope that it will also encourage innovation and investment and promote competition.
As I have mentioned, the free flow of news and information is of strategic importance to us and we very much welcome, for example, more international media and related companies to take advantage of what we have to offer in Hong Kong. We have another government department - Invest Hong Kong - that will help you set up a business here if you want.
But for us, the ready access to information goes much deeper than the news media and business decision makers.
In Hong Kong, financial services, business services, trade and logistics and tourism have been the four mainstays of our economy for many years. But we realised after the Asian financial crisis in 1997 and 1998 - that a small and open economy such as Hong Kong needs a broader economic base to sustain growth in the long term. The eruption of the global financial crisis in 2008 spurred us into action.
So, we have now developed specific strategies to pursue six business areas with good potential for growth, and where we already have a competitive advantage. The six are: innovation and technology; education services; medical services; environmental technology and industries; testing and certification; and creative industries.
Innovation and technology, creative industries and education services in particular require the free flow of news, ideas and information to flourish. But, they also have an impact on the way in which the news media has developed, and will continue to develop.
There will inevitably be innovative new gadgets to help us access our news and information. There will be creative new ways to engage and attract customers, say for example with more interactive graphics or quirky Apps - or through the redesign of services. Our schools are already making extensive use of the Internet and Online platforms to inform, educate and at times entertain students in this cyber world in which we live. And, as you all know, ordinary people around the world are now part of the news gathering process with their blogs, tweets, chatrooms, forums, photos and videos.
I often wonder how news executives around the world can keep up with all the changes that are taking place - not just in the way that news is gathered and distributed, but in the way that news organisations manage and respond to the enormous amount of information at their disposal these days.
At the same time, news organisations also need to find ways to make their businesses work and generate a profit - which, as we have seen, can also lead to questionable practices taking root. We no longer live in a 24-7 media environment. The media cycle is now measured in minutes, sometimes seconds, and this must create enormous pressure in newsrooms around the world. I don't envy your jobs.
Having said that, it also presents quite a lot of challenges to Governments to meet the media's needs, and also to respond to the growing need for engagement and communication via social media and other fora such as chatrooms and blogs. Information technology was meant to make life easier. It seems that for the media and governments alike, life just keeps getting busier and busier. I wake up at four o'clock in the morning to make sure I can read the close of New York exchange news. After dinner, I have to make sure what happened in Europe. The world is going round and round you and you have to catch up with it. And perhaps it may be that one of the few things that journalists and governments can agree on is that we all work very hard.
Ladies and gentlemen, I think perhaps I have spoken too much already. Once again, I must say thank you very much. I thank the GEN and all delegates for coming to Hong Kong for your first world conference. I hope you find some spare time to have a look around town. And I would just take this final opportunity to remind you all that Christmas is just around the corner and you won't find too many better places for your Christmas shopping than Hong Kong!
Thank you very much.
Ends/Monday, November 28, 2011
Issued at HKT 12:44
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