World Internet Conference Asia-Pacific Summit 2026 concludes, gathering global technology dignitaries to deepen Asia-Pacific digital collaboration

APAC - English

• APAC - Traditional Chinese

HONG KONG, April 27, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Hosted by the World Internet Conference (WIC), organised by the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government, and co-organised by the Innovation, Technology and Industry Bureau, the 2026 WIC Asia-Pacific Summit was held in Hong Kong on 13-14 April 2026 and concluded successfully. The two-day international flagship event brought together around 1000 global innovation and technology (I&T) stakeholders, including government and business leaders, representatives from international organisations, experts and scholars from over 50 countries and regions. The Summit further deepened regional digital cooperation, showcased Hong Kong's progress and advantages in driving digital transformation and AI governance, and reinforced its position as an international I&T centre and a two-way platform connecting the country and the world.

The Summit focused on a range of frontier technology topics, including AI security and governance which is of great concern to the industry. Speaking at the related forum, the Acting Commissioner for Digital Policy, Mr. Daniel Cheung, outlined Hong Kong's approach to balancing AI development with regulated use, which is in line with the National 15th Five-Year Plan. He added that the HKSAR Government is accelerating AI industrialisation while fostering a trusted ecosystem for safe applications.

Mr. Cheung emphasised that the upcoming Hong Kong Artificial Intelligence Research and Development Institute (AIRDI) would play a crucial role. He said, "The AIRDI will provide safety assessments and compliance consulting services, enabling enterprises to train and test AI models in secure and standardised environments that meet international benchmarks. The AIRDI will also foster cross-sector and inter-regional collaboration on AI standardisation. We encourage the public and enterprises to embrace AI with confidence and security, and work together to build a secure, open and responsible AI ecosystem."

Mr. John Hoffman, CEO of GSMA Ltd, highly commended Hong Kong's advantages demonstrated as the host of the Summit. He remarked, "Hong Kong has been the epicentre of East meets West. It plays a pivotal role in digital transformation and, together with its strengths in mobile technologies is critical to global innovation. Also, the Summit provides great opportunities to showcase innovation and digital transformation along with the mobile ecosystem here in Hong Kong."

Mr. Leonard Chan, Founding Chairman of the Hong Kong Innovative Technology Development Association, attended the Summit for the second consecutive year and highlighted Hong Kong's strategic advantages. He noted, "Hong Kong is truly one of a kind as a platform that bridges international practices and helps leading Mainland enterprises go global. This is my second time attending the WIC Asia-Pacific Summit. As with last year, the Summit is an excellent platform that brings together global experts, providing business and academic communities with opportunities for in-depth exchanges. The successful hosting of the Summit is a testament to Hong Kong's unique position as an international I&T centre."

The Summit successfully created a high-level platform for international exchange through the Ministerial Meeting, the Government-Enterprise Dialogue, various thematic forums and technology showcases. Moving forward, the HKSAR Government will continue to leverage its distinctive advantages of having strong support from the motherland and close connection with the world to accelerate Hong Kong's development as an international I&T centre and contribute towards building a community with a shared future in cyberspace.

SOURCE Innovation, Technology and Industry Bureau