Hong Kong officials burnished the city’s image as a "superconnector" for the global maritime industry amid a profound shipping transformation fueled by decarbonization, technological innovations and geopolitical dynamics.
“Enhancing Hong Kong's role as a maritime ‘superconnector’ has always been our priority,” Secretary for Transport and Logistics Lam Sai-hung said at the opening ceremony of Hong Kong Maritime Week 2024 cum World Maritime Merchants Forum 2024 on Monday.
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The city has lived up to the title in many ways. Its strategic location as a gateway to Asia, combined with its advanced infrastructure, has been crucial to its emergence as one of the world's busiest and most efficient ports. In the latest International Shipping Centre Development Index, Hong Kong ranked fourth overall, with more than 300 weekly international container-vessel sailings to nearly 500 destinations.
According to the Transport and Logistics Bureau, the average stay for container vessels in Hong Kong port is 0.95 days, about half the 1.85-day average for the world's top 20 container ports.
Lam added that strengthening Hong Kong's status as a maritime "superconnector" is also one of the purposes of Maritime Week, which has seen a stronger connection with the international community this year.
The annual weeklong event, now in its 8th edition, is expected to draw some 14,500 professionals from all over the world. It features a vast array of activities designed to spark discussions among industry practitioners on critical topics such as the implications of carbon-tax regulations and the potential of artificial intelligence in shipping.
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Addressing the opening ceremony, Acting Chief Executive Chan Kwok-ki said Hong Kong is determined to build on its maritime strengths, and the unique institutional strengths under "one country, two systems", together with its common law system, make itself an ideal hub for high-value-added maritime services.
The 2024 Policy Address in October announced maritime-related initiatives including the establishment of a high-level advisory body that will help the government in developing policy and long-term strategies for the maritime sector.
According to Chan, Hong Kong will also expand cash incentives for Hong Kong-registered ships that meet international decarbonization standards and look to promote tax exemptions for high-value-added maritime and professional services.
Hong Kong's ramped-up efforts echoed Chairman of the China Merchants Group Miao Jianmin’s call for closer global cooperation as the maritime sector is undergoing profound changes filled with opportunities and challenges.
In his keynote speech, Miao expressed his hope that industry sectors would transcend geographical divisions and the chasms of time to better connect the dreams of digital and green transformation in the maritime industry.
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Zheng Yanxiong, director of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, said the central government has always placed great importance on the development of Hong Kong as an international shipping center and has consistently provided strong support.
Highlighting Hong Kong’s robust economic fundamentals and competitiveness in trade and logistics, Zheng encouraged shipping companies to seize opportunities by expanding their presence in the city and contributing to its development as a green shipping center.
