The Under Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry, Ms Lillian Cheong, addressed the Beijing-Hong Kong-Macao Science and Technology Innovation Forum of the Zhongguancun (ZGC) Forum Annual Conference in Beijing today (March 27) and explored new opportunities for Beijing, Hong Kong and Macao to promote synergistic scientific and technological self-reliance and high-quality industrial development with AI at the core, with government representatives, local and overseas experts, scholars and corporate representatives from different places.

     Ms Cheong pointed out that the National 15th Five-Year Plan clearly identified AI as the core engine to drive industrial transformation and cultivate new quality productive forces. The Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area are both crucial engines of national innovation and development, with complementary advantages and broad collaborative spaces. As the country's important international innovation and technology (I&T) centre, Hong Kong plays the role of a bridge connecting the Mainland and the world, and is committed to using AI to drive new industrialisation, shaping new quality productive forces as well as assisting the country in building a modernised industrial system and enhancing its voice and influence in global AI development.

     She said that Hong Kong is systematically promoting the AI full-chain strategy, including the establishment of the Committee on AI+ and Industry Development Strategy, launching the Hong Kong Artificial Intelligence Research and Development Institute, building the Sandy Ridge Data Facility Cluster into a leading Asia-Pacific computing hub, and strengthening support for scientific research, computing power, capital, and talent through the $10 billion I&T Industry-Oriented Fund and the $3 billion AI Subsidy Scheme, while building a secure and reliable AI governance framework. Hong Kong will leverage its advantages of connecting with international standards, international data interoperability, global financing, and transformation of research, academic and industry outcomes, and work with with Beijing and Macao to create a new AI innovation ecosystem to jointly promote breakthroughs in frontier fields. These fields include embodied intelligence, industrial intelligence, and on-device AI. Hong Kong will also support the global launch of outstanding technologies and products in the city and ride on platforms such as InnoHK research clusters and the Hong Kong Artificial Intelligence Research and Development Institute to expand into international markets.

     Ms Cheong arrived in Beijing to begin her duty visit on March 24. She attended the Opening Ceremony of ZGC Forum Annual Conference the following day (March 25). The ZGC Forum is a state-level platform for global science and technology (sci-tech) innovation exchanges and co-operation, focusing on international cutting-edge and topical sci-tech issues. The forum invites top-notch scientists, leading enterpreneurs from local and overseas to participate.

     During her visit to Beijing, Ms Cheong visited a number of leading semiconductor and AI chip enterprises including Beijing SemiDrive Technology Corporation, Beijing Yandong Microelectronics Co, Ltd and GigaDevice Semiconductor Inc, and held discussions with representatives including Tashan Technology to learn about the frontier research and development (R&D) and industry applications in semiconductors, automotive grade chips, and computing chips. She said that Hong Kong is actively advancing its development in the microelectronics area, with two pilot lines at the Microelectronics Centre in Yuen Long set to commence operations this year to support the "1 to N" transformation of R&D outcomes and industrialisation to further develop Yuen Long into a microelectronics industrial park. Meanwhile, the Government is dedicated to collaborating with enterprises that have already completed dual listings on the "A+H" platforms, such as GigaDevice, and encourage them to establish R&D, pilot production and headquarters in Hong Kong, matching the pilot production platforms, international capital and global networks of Hong Kong to foster industry clustering effects.
     
     Additionally, Ms Cheong visited leading embodied intelligence enterprises including Beijing Inspire Robots Technology Co Ltd, and Galbot Co Ltd, and held discussions with representatives including Galaxea AI, Mech-Mind and Yunji Technology to learn about technological breakthroughs in core robotic components on the Mainland, cutting-edge embodied intelligence, latest development of embodied intelligence basic models and the wide-ranging application scenarios in automated production and smart living of embodied intelligence. She stated that embodied intelligence is an important direction for AI industrialisation. With its strengths in basic research, international recognition, marketised application and standards alignment, Hong Kong is well positioned to help Mainland enterprises develop into an international embodied intelligence accelerator by providing one-stop support in international validation, a showcase window for international technology, thereby expediting their technologies towards the global markets.
      
     Ms Cheong visited the Xiong'an New Area yesterday (March 26) and toured the technology park and development pavilion in the Area. She also met with leaders of the Xiong'an New Area Management Committee, where both sides exchanged views on the development of the Xiong'an New Area and Hong Kong including I&T, regional planning, digital construction and industry planning. 

      Ms Cheong visited the Center for International Economic and Technological Cooperation of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology of China this morning and met with the relevant officials to exchange views on topics such as international industry co-operation, fostering synergy in various industries, making good use of Hong Kong as a platform for improving quality and upgrading.

     Ms Cheong concluded her visit and will return to Hong Kong this evening.

Ends/Friday, March 27, 2026
Issued at HKT 15:03

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