Hong Kong: Contactless robot charging invention wows tech show

The Hong Kong Applied Science and Technology Research Institute — one of the special administrative region’s largest government-sponsored scientific institutions — won 10 awards spanning sectors like smart city, smart finance and smart industry at the 3rd Asia Exhibition of Innovation and Invention in Hong Kong.

The award-winning creations include a contactless robot charging technology that features an up to 10 cm charging distance with misalignment tolerance capabilities. The technology, as a smart solution for lowering labor costs and improving productivity, was the biggest winner among Hong Kong inventions, securing the “Gold Medal with the Congratulations of Jury” and the “First Prize of Inventions Geneva Award” at the exhibition.

Macao: SAR upbeat about tourism as visitor numbers top 25 m

The Macao Special Administrative Region government is confident of attracting more than 28 million tourists to the city this year, having recorded over 25 million visitors from January to November.

Lei Wai-nong, the SAR’s secretary for economy and finance, said the daily average number of overseas tourists had rebounded to about 70 percent of the pre-pandemic levels, indicating a steady revival of the tourism business. Per capita visitor spending had also gone up, he said.

The Macao SAR government hopes to maintain the momentum next year and lure more travelers from Northeast and Southeast Asia by launching more overseas promotion events.

Guangzhou: Versatile mobile app offers seamless services 

A mobile app aimed at providing seamless services in transportation, retail and services payment, healthcare and education for residents in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area was launched at the 2nd Digital Government Summit and Forum on Digital GBA held in the Guangdong provincial capital, Guangzhou, from Dec 8 to 10.

Geared to creating a quality living area through digitalization, the app, named One Stop, supports more than 100 types of services, such as purchasing cross-boundary train and bus tickets, hailing taxis, locating the nearest hospitals, and searching for the latest information on various policies.

The app is available on the Chinese mainland and Hong Kong versions of Alipay and Weixin, as well as Macao’s MPay.

Shenzhen: Conference seals deals exceeding 1 trillion yuan

The Shenzhen Global Investment Promotion Conference held on Dec 8 saw the signing of more than 380 agreements with the value of total investments exceeding 1 trillion yuan ($140 billion).

The event, hosted by the Shenzhen municipal government, attracted more than 1,000 business leaders and investors from prominent companies, financial institutions and top-notch business associations from around the world. 

The conference also organized 10 parallel sessions in various countries, including Spain, Switzerland and Canada, as well as 12 industrial investment promotion activities, covering sectors like digital energy and advanced technology.

Zhuhai: Simplified procedure launched for passengers

Air travelers from Zhuhai started boarding international flights at Hong Kong International Airport from Tuesday, by transiting through the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge and proceeding directly to the departure gates without having to go through immigration checks in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.

Similarly, international air passengers in Hong Kong can proceed to cities on the Chinese mainland via Zhuhai Airport through the reverse process.

A shuttle bus service will transfer travelers between HKIA and Zhuhai Airport via the HZMB.

Foshan: City’s first comprehensive bonded zone gets the nod

The State Council approved Foshan’s first comprehensive bonded zone on Dec 8, with the aim of boosting the city’s foreign investment and trade cooperation, and establishing a platform for export-oriented economic growth.

The zone, located in Xingtan town, Shunde district, spans 1.13 square kilometers. The project will be developed in three phases, with the initial phase covering an area of 0.81 square kilometers. The comprehensive bonded zone will focus on high-end equipment manufacturing, production of smart home appliances, robotics and new materials, as well as new energy.

Huizhou: Import, export growth tops rankings in Pearl River Delta

Huizhou’s total import and export value rose nearly 8 percent year-on-year to 280.52 billion yuan ($39.32 billion) in the first 10 months of this year, according to Huizhou Customs. Huizhou’s growth rate topped those of other cities in the Pearl River Delta region.

The city’s export value reached 169.9 billion yuan between January and October. Among the products exported, electromechanical items accounted for more than 70 percent, with rapid growth seen for lithium batteries and household appliances.

Dongguan: Prehistoric culture museum set to reopen next year

Dongguan’s Haogang Site Museum, which is being renovated, is expected to reopen early next year, with richer content to help visitors explore the mysteries of the culture dating back about 5,000 years.

The museum showcases pottery, stone implements, bone tools and other architectural discoveries from the Haogang Shell Mound Site, which is considered to be one of the earliest prehistoric cultural relics in Guangdong province, and also known as the “first village in the Pearl River Delta”.

When reopened, the museum will have a new museum shop, a designated photo spot, and themed wall paintings.

Zhongshan: Agreement to promote digital transformation

The Zhongshan municipal government signed a strategic cooperation agreement with telecommunications giant Huawei Technologies on Dec 8 to jointly promote the city’s digital transformation.

The accord provides for both parties to collaborate in making Zhongshan a benchmark for medium-sized smart cities, and drive its high-quality development. 

Huawei will leverage its technological advantages to promote the innovative application of advanced technologies in Zhongshan through joint experiments and pilot programs.

Jiangmen: Lion dance tourney has record number of teams

The 2023 Lion King Invitational Tournament took place in Jiangmen on Dec 2-3. It drew a record 32 lion dance participating teams from the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, and countries that included Malaysia, Chile, Singapore and Thailand.

Other activities were also held, including one featuring Choy Li Fut — a traditional Chinese martial art style — and a cultural products display. 

The event was broadcast online, along with synchronized commentaries by professional martial arts coaches.

Zhaoqing: High-tech zone leads in peaking carbon emissions

The Zhaoqing High-Tech Industry Development Zone has been chosen to be in the first batch of industrial parks on the Chinese mainland aimed at peaking carbon emissions, along with other nine industrial parks and 25 pilot cities.

The list, drawn up by the National Development and Reform Commission, is in accordance with the government’s action plan to peak carbon dioxide emissions by 2030. The national department urged local development and reform commissions to provide guidance for pilot cities and parks in their bid to attain peak emissions.

Currently, the high-tech industry development zone has more than 80 enterprises engaged in the new-energy automobile industry chain, covering the manufacturing of vehicles and automotive components.