演講辭

Following are the opening remarks by the Chairman of the Hong Kong Maritime and Port Board and Secretary for Transport and Logistics, Mr Lam Sai-hung, at the Opening Ceremony of Hong Kong Maritime Week 2024 cum World Maritime Merchants Forum 2024 today (November 18):

The Honourable Acting Chief Executive K K Chan(Acting Chief Executive, Mr Chan Kwok-ki), The Honourable Vice-Chairman C Y Leung (Vice-Chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference Mr C Y Leung), Director Zheng Yanxiong (Director of the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR)), Commissioner Cui Jianchun (Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China in the HKSAR), Vice Minister Fu Xuyin (Vice Minister of Transport), Mr Miao Jianmin (Chairman of the China Merchants Group), distinguished guests, friends of the global maritime community, ladies and gentlemen,

Good afternoon. It is indeed my great pleasure to join you all in the opening of the eighth edition of Hong Kong Maritime Week (HKMW) and the fourth World Maritime Merchants Forum. Once again, we have two great events under one roof this year.

With the staunch support from 14 support organisations, the week-long HKMW will feature a comprehensive line-up of activities, with an aim to ignite discussions by industry practitioners on important maritime topics and raise the general community's interest towards the maritime industry.

The global maritime sector is undergoing profound transformation in recent years, driven by digitalisation, decarbonisation, geopolitical and trade dynamics. The global maritime community are responding flexibly and effectively to the forces of change.

We, in Hong Kong, are getting ourselves prepared for both the challenges and opportunities ahead. Last December, the Hong Kong Government launched an Action Plan on Maritime and Port Development Strategy, outlining 10 strategies and 32 action measures from four directions to consolidate and enhance Hong Kong's status as an international maritime centre. This year, the Policy Address has unveiled a myriad of other important and significant measures to develop Hong Kong as an international maritime centre.

Enhancing Hong Kong's role as a maritime "super connector" has always been on our priority, and this is one of the purposes of Hong Kong Maritime Week. The programme of HKMW this year has seen even stronger connection with the international community. For the first time, the International Chamber of Shipping, supported by my Bureau, has staged a two-day Global Maritime Trade Summit. Ministers from around the world gathered in Hong Kong to conduct ministerial dialogues on issues affecting the international maritime community. This year, the HKMW will also debut a new theme on "Belt and Road Development", featuring activities that shine a spotlight on the developments under our country's Belt and Road Initiative.

I believe there are much more fun and opportunities you may find throughout the week. Our two flagship events, the World Maritime Merchants Forum and the Asian Logistics, Maritime and Aviation Conference, will run alongside for industry leaders to exchange market intelligence and identify business opportunities. The Captain's Table, being the industry's leading maritime start-up contest, will bring together aspiring innovators seeking to bring their innovation to market.

Ladies and gentlemen, I hope that you will enjoy our hospitality and find the events useful for connecting with your fellows in the industry. I wish you all a fruitful and rewarding week. Thank you.