Full text of the Chief Executive's 2026 Policy Address (5)

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(E) International Hub for High-calibre Talent

145. Last year, Hong Kong placed fourth in the World Talent Ranking and third globally in education competitiveness, with five universities among the world's top 100. We will promote the integrated development of education, technology and talent, and improve strategic co-ordination and implementation mechanism, while strengthening the roles of institutions, research institutes, innovation platforms and enterprises in attracting and nurturing talent. We aim to cultivate talent in a co-ordinated manner for technological innovation, industry development and national strategic needs. We will also improve the process for identifying, selecting and nurturing young innovation talent. A targeted approach will be adopted to attract those with the skills required for the development of our country and Hong Kong. We will also strengthen our strategies in drawing overseas talent in a more proactive manner, and establish the "Study in Hong Kong" brand. These initiatives will enhance our competitiveness and build Hong Kong into an international hub for high-calibre talent.

Deepen the Development of an International Education Hub and Establish the "Study in Hong Kong" Brand

146. To promote post-secondary education in Hong Kong and attract outstanding students from around the world, the EDB has established the Task Force on Study in Hong Kong, and organised the first "Study in Hong Kong Week", as well as the largest-ever Asia-Pacific Association for International Education 2026 Conference and Exhibition. The first International Symposium of the Alliance of Universities of Applied Sciences (UAS) was also held, bringing global education leaders together to exchange views on critical issues and the latest trends in post-secondary education.

147. The Government makes every effort in developing Hong Kong into an international hub for post-secondary education and high calibre talent through the following measures:

(i) Drive the "Hong Kong: Your World-class Campus" international promotion and organise exhibitions in target areas (such as countries and regions along the B&R).

(ii) The University Grants Committee (UGC)-funded universities plan to organise more than 160 recruitment activities in the Chinese Mainland and overseas in the 2026/27 academic year to attract outstanding students from around the world.

(iii) Extend for two years the pilot arrangement of including graduates from the GBA campuses of Hong Kong universities under the Immigration Arrangements for Non-local Graduates. This will allow more outstanding talent to remain in Hong Kong or come to our city for employment.

Promote the Quality and Quantity Development of Student Hostels

148. The Hostels in the City Scheme, launched by the DEVB and the EDB in July 2025, has removed barriers and eased restrictions to encourage the market to convert or redevelop existing commercial buildings into student hostels on a self-financing and privately-run basis. Since the launch of the Scheme, 41 applications have been confirmed, securing the provision of about 10 800 bed spaces. The DEVB will put the first student hostel site up for sale this financial year.

149. The thriving development of the private student hostel market reflects stakeholder confidence in Hong Kong's education. The EDB will support the Hong Kong Direct Subsidy Scheme Schools Council in formulating the Code of Practice for Operating Student Hostels. It will set standards for accommodation, hygiene, safety and warden arrangements for compliance by operators intending to provide accommodation facilities for non-local students (especially minors), so as to ensure suitable living conditions for incoming students.

Promote the Development of Schools under the Direct Subsidy Scheme and International Schools

150. The EDB will continue to take forward the "Direct Subsidy Scheme (DSS) Expansion", while strengthening publicity and attracting overseas students to encourage more DSS schools to admit non-local students. To date, 48 DSS schools have been allowed to participate in the programme. They will begin their intake of new overseas students progressively from September this year.

151. To meet society's demand and support talent development, the Government plans to allocate sites in the NM or other areas next year for the development of international schools.

Enhance Visa Arrangements for Talent

152. To focus our efforts in attracting the necessary talent for Hong Kong's development, and to promote talent exchange and training, we will:

(i) Consider adding more talent categories relating to AI application to enrich the Talent List. The current list covers 60 professions in short of local talent (including finance and healthcare, as well as I&T).

(ii) Relax the requirements on extension of stay under the Top Talent Pass Scheme (TTPS) for technology start-up talent. Incoming talent who establish start-up businesses in Hong Kong may face significant uncertainty when applying for extension of stay due to their lower income from unstable business during the initial stage of operation. Proprietors of technology start-ups supported by designated public sector organisations will be exempted from requirements such as providing proof of company income when applying for extension of stay under the TTPS, to facilitate their development in Hong Kong.

(iii) Expand the Immigration Facilitation Scheme for Invited Persons by extending its coverage from the current Member States of the ASEAN to countries and regions in Central Asia and the Middle East, and allowing all bureaux and departments to issue invitations under the Scheme. This will promote economic and trade interactions and exchanges.

(iv) Introduce a new visa category to allow non-locals to participate in short-term training programmes in Hong Kong, as recognised by bureaux and departments, advancing Hong Kong's development into a regional training hub.

Chapter IV Leverage Hong Kong's International Advantages

(A) Deepen the Development of an International Legal and Dispute Resolution Services Centre

153. Hong Kong gives full play to the unique advantages of its bilingual common law system with both Chinese and English under "one country, two systems", contributing to the upholding of the impartial and reasonable international rule of law and order, with its dispute-resolution rules and mechanisms aligned with international standards. Hong Kong will also provide first-class international professional legal services for Mainland enterprises to "go global". It will do so by enhancing its diversified and high-end dispute resolution services, including litigation, arbitration and mediation, pooling top legal talent and promoting closer alignment of rules and mechanisms in the GBA.

Build a Global Capital of Mediation to Support the Work of the International Organization for Mediation

154. The Government will continue to render full support to the work of the IOMed headquartered in Hong Kong, including holding the Governing Council meeting for IOMed's Contracting States and the annual forum in Hong Kong by year's end. To include the IOMed as a dispute-resolution option in agreements, priority will be given to government contracts involving international commercial matters and international agreements to which the HKSAR is a party. We would welcome the IOMed to accept and handle disputes in emerging industries, including commodity trading and the space economy.

155. The Government will continue promoting "mediate first" to resolve disputes, including continuing to implement the incorporation of mediation clauses in all government contracts.
Expand the Mediation Culture

156. The Pilot Scheme on Community Mediation has been providing mediation skills training for property management personnel to help them resolve neighbourhood disputes, such as those arising from water seepage in buildings. To foster harmonious neighbourhood relations, the Home Affairs Department (HAD) will introduce a three-tier mechanism for resolving building management disputes next year:

(i) Tier I: District Council (DC) members will make early intervention to work with neighbours over building management issues and concerns, seeking to resolve disputes through amicable negotiations.

(ii) Tier II: If the issues remain unresolved, DC members will refer the parties concerned to the professional mediation services established by the HAD, including the Free Mediation Service Scheme for Building Management¹⁷, the Panel of Advisors on Building Management Disputes¹⁸ and the Building Management Dispute Resolution Service¹⁹, enabling all parties to resolve their disputes in a time- and cost-saving manner.

(iii) Tier III: If the issues still cannot be resolved satisfactorily, consideration may be given to take cases to court.

157. The Housing Bureau (HB) and relevant organisations will jointly introduce the "Pro-bono Mediation Service Scheme for the Basic Housing Unit Regime" by year's end to resolve disputes between stakeholders and enable the orderly implementation of the Basic Housing Unit (BHU) regime.

158. To protect consumers' rights and interests, the Consumer Council will launch a pilot scheme on mediation to help consumers and traders resolve consumer disputes.

159. The DoJ has accepted the seven recommendations made by the Working Group on Mediation Regulatory System. The Government will introduce a bill into the LegCo by the end of the year, allowing the parties involved to apply for the appointment of mediators by the Hong Kong Mediation Accreditation Association Limited when they fail to reach a consensus on the choice of mediators.

Support the International Institute for the Unification of Private Law in Establishing a Presence in Hong Kong

160. This year marks the centenary of the establishment of the International Institute for the Unification of Private Law. We will strive for the establishment of its inaugural overseas liaison office in Hong Kong. This will mark its first ever presence outside its seat in Rome since its founding, highlighting Hong Kong's strategic position.

International Commercial Court

161. The Government supports the Judiciary in advancing the development of the International Commercial Court and inviting judges from other common law jurisdictions to adjudicate international commercial cases through more efficient procedures, with a view to complementing Hong Kong's existing international arbitration and mediation services and further consolidating Hong Kong's status as a major jurisdiction for handling international commercial litigation.

Advance the Construction of the Hong Kong International Legal Service Building

162. The DoJ is pressing ahead with the preparatory work for the construction of the Hong Kong International Legal Service Building, with construction targeted to begin by the end of next year. The building will become a new landmark of Hong Kong's international legal hub, attracting international legal and dispute resolution services institutions to set up business as well as organise international conferences, exchanges and training activities in Hong Kong, thereby promoting the development of related industries.

Hong Kong International Legal Talents Training Academy

163. Since its launch, the Hong Kong International Legal Talents Training Academy has collaborated with about 30 international legal organisations, central ministries and professional bodies, providing training for more than 5 000 legal professionals.

164. The academy will organise a wider variety of programmes, explore conducting research on cross-jurisdictional topics covering common law and other legal systems and organise high-end international seminars on a regular basis. This will support its development into a legal capacity-building centre for our country and the international community, particularly for B&R countries, as well as a hub for the training, exchange and gathering of high-calibre legal talent.

Enhance Hong Kong's Status as World's Most Preferred Arbitration Seat

165. Hong Kong, together with Singapore, was ranked the second-most preferred seat for arbitration globally in the 2025 International Arbitration Survey. Hong Kong also retained its position as the most preferred seat for arbitration in the Asia-Pacific region. With its world-renowned arbitral institutions, coupled with experienced arbitrators and a globally recognised arbitration framework, Hong Kong has built a widely trusted arbitration ecosystem.

166. The DoJ will draw reference from the recommendations of the Working Group on Arbitration Law Reform and strive to complete legislative amendments for the Arbitration Ordinance within next year, as part of our ongoing efforts to enhance Hong Kong's arbitration legal framework.

167. The Government will continue to implement, in collaboration with the legal and sports sectors, the Pilot Scheme on Sports Dispute Resolution, exploring co-operation opportunities with international and regional sports associations to develop Hong Kong into an international sports dispute resolution centre.

(B) Develop a Regional Intellectual Property Trading Centre

168. To ensure solid legal protection of outcomes from R&D, innovation and cultural and creative efforts, the Government continues to promote its patents, trademarks, registered designs and copyright regimes, strengthen the in-house examination capacity under the original grant patent (OGP) system and make registration more efficient and convenient. The Government also promotes intellectual property (IP) valuation and financing, reduces IP trading costs and nurtures talent skilled in IP management and commercialisation. The Government will continue to work towards consolidating the foundations for Hong Kong's development as a regional IP trading centre.

Promote Intellectual Property Valuation and Financing

169. Success cases have progressively been recorded since the launch of the IP financing sandbox²⁰ last year, unlocking a new financing channel for enterprises holding quality IP assets. We will, based on market response, prepare to launch the next phase of the sandbox with broader participation and more practical applications.

170. The Business of IP Asia Forum, scheduled for November this year, with IP financing as the theme, will bring together experts from different places to pursue development opportunities.

Develop and Expand the Patent Examination Team

171. The Intellectual Property Department will continue to develop and expand its patent examination team and strengthen its in-house examination capacity for OGP applications in major technology fields. The department will roll out pilot facilitation measures for the relevant OGP applications next year.

Launch the Hong Kong Intellectual Property Academy

172. The Hong Kong Intellectual Property Academy will be officially launched in the fourth quarter of this year. It will provide more systematic on-the-job, talent-training programmes with a higher level of recognition, raising the IP literacy of practitioners in sectors such as technological innovation, cultural and creative, commerce and industry, and professional services.

Formulate a Regulatory Framework for Local Patent Agents

173. The Government has completed an industry consultation on the framework for regulating local patent agency services and the key issues involved. The industry generally supports the setting up of a registration regime for patent agency services, and agrees that professional titles and qualification requirements for registration should be provided for. A public consultation will be launched this year, and specific legislative proposals will be formulated next year.

Reduce Intellectual Property Trading Costs

174. The Government will introduce a bill this year to implement tax-deduction arrangements for capital expenditure incurred for purchasing IP rights, or for the licence to use IP rights, in a bid to support IP trading's development.

Deepen Top-level Planning

175. The Government will establish the "Strategy Committee on Intellectual Property Trading Development". It will bring together representatives from innovation, technology and the creative industries, as well as from commerce and industry, IP professional services and other sectors, to assist the Government in formulating strategies and support measures for the promotion of IP trading.

(C) Develop an East-meets-West Centre for International Cultural Exchange

176. Since the promulgation of the 14th Five-Year Plan, our country has expressly supported Hong Kong's development as an East-meets-West centre for international cultural exchange. Hong Kong has a unique background as a cultural melting pot of East and West. Over the years, Hong Kong has served as a bridge linking China and the international community. The Government will expand the scale of arts and culture and the creative industries, while reinforcing Hong Kong's role as an international arts trading platform.

Support the West Kowloon Cultural District in Boosting the Development of the Cultural Industry

177. The West Kowloon Cultural District (WKCD) is Hong Kong's significant and strategic cultural infrastructure investment and one of the world's largest cultural hubs. In 2025, it attracted more than 17 million visitors. The WKCD has entered into nearly 50 collaborative agreements with renowned arts and cultural institutions around the globe, and successfully brought numerous exhibitions and performing arts programmes to the Mainland and overseas.

178. Scheduled to open next year, the WestK Performing Arts Centre will feature four performance venues built to the highest international theatre standards, including "Dancehouse", the first dedicated venue for dance art in Hong Kong. An extraordinary line-up of performances will be presented in its inaugural year, featuring the world premiere of a large scale production by the resident company, as well as Hong Kong's debuts of internationally acclaimed dance, theatre and Broadway shows, and major co-productions with local and overseas art groups.

179. Over the next two years, the Hong Kong Palace Museum will take its precious collections on overseas tours, Australia and Uzbekistan included, bringing traditional Chinese culture to global audiences.

Advance the Establishment of a Premium Arts Trading Hub

180. Hong Kong is among the world's top three arts trading centres. To consolidate and enhance our advantages, the Government will complete a study on arts trading centres within this year. The WKCD is also set to welcome its first Mainland arts auction house later this year. The newly established WestK Academy will organise an international fellowship programme for auctioneers with a Mainland trade association and offer courses on Chinese arts and heritage conservation.

Reform the Funding Mechanism for Arts Groups

181. To promote sustainable development and the industrialisation of performing arts, we will inject $200 million into the Arts and Sport Development Fund (Arts Portion). While maintaining the current overall funding level for major performing arts groups (MPAGs), a funding and in-and-out mechanism tied to performance and artistic merit will be introduced. This will encourage innovation among MPAGs and provide opportunities for medium-sized arts groups with consistently outstanding performance to become MPAGs.

Construct a Second Campus for the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts

182. The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts ranked 10th globally and first in Asia in the 2026 QS World University Rankings for Performing Arts. The academy is taking forward the temporary campus extension in Chai Wan and its long-term plan to construct a second campus in the NM.

¹⁷Free professional mediation services provided by accredited professional mediators.

¹⁸Free advisory services where professionals offer neutral, authoritative and professional advice.

¹⁹Free dispute resolution services steered by a retired judge/judicial officer.

²⁰The IP financing sandbox provides a collaborative and risk-controlled environment for banks, enterprises and professional service sectors to jointly test IP financing arrangements.

(To be continued.)

Ends/Wednesday, September 16, 2026
Issued at HKT 13:46

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