A new police academy in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region is expected to train 1,000 officers each year, including about 200 from overseas, in an effort to strengthen operational expertise and global law enforcement partnerships, Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu said on Wednesday.

More than 400 representatives from local and overseas law enforcement agencies attended the opening ceremony of the Hong Kong International Academy of Policing (HKIAP), located at the Hong Kong Police College in Wong Chuk Hang, Hong Kong Island.

ALSO READ: HK police chief: Fraud, financial probe are priorities

Lee said the academy’s inauguration reflects the Hong Kong Police Force’s commitment to expanding global collaboration in police leadership development and training. He added that it will deepen cross-boundary exchanges through various programs.

The HKIAP has planned more than 20 training programs and forums involving overseas participants through the end of next year, Lee said. They include ConvergeHK, an inaugural senior leadership policing forum focused on shared security challenges, scheduled for April.

“I am confident that this new institution will rise as a hub for international exchanges, attracting law enforcement agencies worldwide to build a safer, more secure future for us all,” Lee said.

By linking people and expertise across jurisdictions, the HKIAP will reinforce Hong Kong’s role as a superconnector and super value-adder, he added.

The HKIAP is among the SAR’s latest initiatives to deepen its alignment with the national 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-30) and its involvement in the Belt and Road Initiative.

The academy opens its doors to trainees from overseas law enforcement agencies, particularly those in Southeast Asia, the Middle East, and other economies engaged in the BRI. It aims to become a world-class police training base and exchange platform, according to the SAR government.

Its training programs cover five key areas: command and leadership; tactics; counterterrorism and crisis management; crime investigation and intelligence; and protection and security.

Joe Chow Yat-ming, commissioner of police of the Hong Kong SAR government, said the HKIAP aims to bring law enforcement agencies worldwide closer through intelligence-sharing and specialized training — essential to addressing increasingly rampant cross-boundary crime.

The HKIAP will build long-term ties with leading global organizations to ensure its training and exchanges are effective, Chow added.

READ MORE: HK police, Interpol to strengthen intl crime fight

During the ceremony, the Hong Kong Police Force signed memorandums of understanding with representatives from Cambodia and Saudi Arabia, pledging to deepen bilateral police training exchanges and lay a solid foundation for jointly addressing future transnational law enforcement challenges.

Contact the writers at atlashao@chinadailyhk.com