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The Hong Kong/Guangdong Expert Group on Co-operation in Informatisation held its third meeting in Guangzhou today (July 4) and agreed to set co-operation on the modern information service industry as the focus of the coming year to promote the development of the related industries in both places.
The meeting was co-chaired by the Deputy Government Chief Information Officer (Operation), Mr Stephen Mak, and the Director-General of the Department of Information Industry of Guangdong Province, Mr Wen Guo-hui. At the meeting, Hong Kong reviewed last year・s progress in co-operation in informatisation with the Department of Information Industry and nine other government departments of Guangdong Province. The group・s work plan for the coming year was also discussed and agreed.
Mr Mak said, ：The governments in both places attach great importance to co-operation in informatisation. In the 2008 Digital 21 Strategy promulgated last December by the HKSAR Government, Guangdong and Hong Kong・s co-operation in informatisation is one of the major work areas.
：In the past year, both places worked together in various fields related to the information technology (IT) industry and informatisation, in particular in promoting the testing of mutual recognition of digital certificates issued by Guangdong and the HKSAR, Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) applications, software outsourcing service and open source software.
：Apart from close collaboration between government bodies, the IT industries of the two places also explored co-operation opportunities through organising different exchange activities.；
In the coming year, the expert group will place emphasis on the modern information service industry, and strengthen co-operation in various areas including the pilot testing of applications using digital certificates issued by Guangdong and the HKSAR, research and development and application of RFID, electronic customs clearance, service outsourcing, digital entertainment, open source software, mobile and wireless technology application and information exchange platform.
The expert group was formed under the aegis of the Hong Kong/Guangdong Co-operation Joint Conference. The eighth plenary of the Hong Kong/Guangdong Co-operation Joint Conference held in September 2005 agreed to establish a new task force on co-operation in informatisation. The group meets once a year to report on its work progress and set the direction for future co-operation.
In addition to the Office of the Government Chief Information Officer, representatives from the Innovation and Technology Commission and Customs and Excise Department also attended today・s meeting.
Ends/Friday, July 4, 2008
Issued at HKT 16:00
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